Harry Potter and the Dark Healer - Year Three
by Citywriter84
Summary: Harry, Draco and Sadie begin their third year at Hogwarts in Slytherin House. A notorious mass murderer has escaped from Azkaban and Hogwarts is playing host to the terrible Dementors. An all original genre of fanfiction where Harry was raised by a hag.
1. Chapter 1

**Hill House and Malfoy Manor**

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Dark Healer Years One and Two are on my profile page!_

* * *

Afternoon sunshine streamed through the window of the garret room at Hogwarts. Harry's mother, the hag Cora Coldfire, was suckling Goldie, his baby sister, at her breast. The sunshine glinted off Cora's red hair and shone off her green nose and cheeks.

Harry was restless. Goldie needed his mother's constant attention. All Goldie did was feed and sleep. Harry supposed a baby's first three months were like a fourth trimester. Without his classmates there, Harry felt alright acting like a kid again. He patted Cora's green arm. "I'm bored."

The hag smiled at him. "Here Harry, hold Goldie."

Harry took Goldie into his arms. Goldie had green skin like their mother. Cora had actually given birth to Goldie, whereas she'd adopted Harry when he was a baby.

"Hey Goldie," said Harry.

Goldie blearily turned her head towards the sound of his voice. She had a little tuft of blond hair on her head. Harry could not forget that her father was the tiresome fraud, Gilderoy Lockhart. Harry was glad Lockhart was no longer in the picture, but he still didn't have his mother's undivided attention. She had a new baby now and they couldn't run around the castle and play. They spent Harry's birthday in Cora's rooms. Fortunately there was always an abundance of the best food at Hogwarts, so Harry could have treacle tart and orange jelly. Much better than the food they got in Cora's cave in the London sewers where they used to live.

That afternoon a magnificent eagle owl dropped by with an ornate scroll of the finest vellum into Harry's right hand. It was an invitation to Malfoy Manor! Harry's heart leapt. He had been hoping to visit Malfoy Manor again. The Malfoy's had the best of everything. The invitation was for him to stay at the Manor in two days time. That evening Harry was awoken by a screech owl which dumped a wad of parchment at him. Harry recognised the slanted script of Sadie McIntyre. When she didn't have to do school work, she liked to write with purple ink in a weird handwriting. Looking over the message, it sounded like Sadie was lonely and was inviting him to Hill House as soon as he could make it. Fortunately Hill House was just a quick Floo journey away.

Harry staggered out of the fireplace at Hill House. He didn't think he'd ever get used to Floo travel. Sadie gave a little squeal and came running up, flinging her skinny little arms around him and pressing her hard mannequin face into his chest. A magical accident in their first year had resulted in her permanent disfigurement. Her face was like a melted green doll's, with eye holes for her staring blue eyes. Harry hugged her back tight enough to make her squeak and stroked her dyed purple hair.

She looked up, her masklike face creasing to form a grin. "Heyyy, Harry. Soo glad you could come." She sounded rather breathless.

Her cupped her plastic face in his hands. "Good to see you too. I got your letter. You're lonely because Tracy's on holiday, is that it?"

Tracy Davis was one of their mutual friends in Slytherin House.

She smiled with the lips of her mask. "Yes, Harry, I am. Soo glad you could come. I know how excited you are to have a baby sister and you don't wanna be away from her for long."

Showed what Sadie knew! Goldie was as sluggish as a green grub, but she hogged all his mother's attention!

"I'll take you with me to Malfoy Manor," Harry decided. "They won't refuse. I'll just say I won't stay I won't come if you don't come as well."

Sadie's blue eyes opened wide for a moment. "That's… very sweet of you, Harry…"

"Hello, Harry!" Chip, the purple homunculus creature Sadie had created the previous Summer came tottering up. He had his paper mask on –a paper plate with a smiley face drawn on it. "How has your summer been? This is my first summer – this lifetime."

"Hullo, Chip," said Harry.

They went up to Sadie's room. "Listen, Harry," began Sadie. Even though Sadie was badly disfigured, Harry could read her expressions and now she looked worried. "You may not have heard yet…" she held up a Daily Prophet. "There's been a breakout from Azkaban."

"Oh?" said Harry. "Azkaban's the wizard prison, right?"

"Yes," said Sadie. She shuddered. "There's something so soo wrong with a society that has a prison like Azkaban. A society that would put anyone in a prison with demons that drain their life and sanity. Chip tells me that the Muggles stopped using torture ages ago. In this country anyway."

"That's right," squeaked Chip.

Sadie unfolded the paper. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page.

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.

"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."

Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.

"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone, and let's face it – who would believe him if he did?"

While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a type of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.

"Thirteen people? With one curse?" said Harry.

Sadie compressed the lips of her mask and nodded grimly.

"A great tragedy," piped Chip.

"Black was a big supporter of You Know Who," said Sadie. "And he would not come quietly. Instead, he blew apart a crowded street and killed a wizard and twelve Muggles."

Sadie twirled a strand of her purple hair between her fingers. "Now we know that Black and the Lestranges were You Know Who's inner circle. The Lestranges are still in Azkaban, but now Black is loose…" She shook her head, her purple hair rippling and bouncing. "I'm afraid for you, my love." She touched Harry's arm. Her blue eyes were strangely bright and her voice trembled a little.

Harry felt a little uneasy, but actually not too bad. He could still make a show of bravado. "Black can't be any worse than Voldemort."

Sadie winced at the sound of Voldemort's name. "Black escaped from Azkaban and that's supposed to be impossible. If he wasn't totally mad before, he will be after that place. Locked in a castle with Dementors – they're demons that cause depression and madness. The rotten Ministry has a prison which actually causes madness! Totally the opposite of rehabilitation."

"Why?" asked Harry. Having been raised by a hag in the sewers, he didn't know everything about wizarding politics.

Sadie grimaced. "The first Minister was as bad as a Death Eater. And once Azkaban was established, different administrations didn't want to change it. It's such a disgrace."

They moved onto more cheerful topics. Sadie showed Harry his birthday gift.

"You bought me a snake?"

Sadie smiled proudly. "I've got you an Oroboros!" A brilliant green snake coiled around her arm. "They're magical snakes. You let them wrap about your arm and bite their tails and then it's like a... conductor of energy."

Harry laughed softly. "Brilliant."

Harry held out his arm, letting the snake smell him. It was just over a foot long. "_What am I going to name you, hm?"_

The snake glided up to his shoulder and nudged under his chin and hissed contentedly. "_Suuss._"

Harry stroked his hand down the back of the snake's head. "_Are you male or female?_"

"_Female._"

"_Then I'll call you Susie."_

Harry's first task was research. He flipped open Sadie's encyclopaedia. _The Oroboros is a breed of snake, commonly used in alchemy. They are capable of storing energy in their bodies. The energy is released when it bites it's own tail, and adds to whatever it is touching at the time. Most commonly they are used with cauldrons, but other objects of power or even the owners themselves_. _According to Muggles, and in symbolic-based disciplines, they are used to reflect endlessness, and eternal cycles, much like the phoenix. They can be a symbol of cheating death."_ That's why Sadie was interested in them then. She had an interest in stopping death in other people. Harry wondered whether Chip was a dead Muggle she had resurrected. The way the pair of them talked, it sounded like it.

Setting the book down, Harry quickly whispered a warning about _not_ biting people without permission to Susie the snake, who gave a tiny hiss of agreement, he launched himself at Sadie, wrapping her in an enthusiastic hug. Sadie was unprepared and they both tipped onto the floor, laughing.

Harry's other presents: from Tracy Harry got a book about unusual potions. Draco sent him a silver necklace with the Malfoy insignia, and Daphne sent him a book as well, this one on plant ingredients, with a note tucked into the front about combining their talents at some point to try and increase both their grades.

_Apprenticeship: A Guide to Advanced Magickal Learning_ was his book from Theo which Harry spent a minute grinning at.

That night they parked themselves on Sadie's bed. Harry thought he could be open with her. Before he even said anything, she knew something was wrong. She gazed at him with intense blue eyes through the eyeholes of her mask. "Is there anything you want to tell me, Harry?"

"Yes," said Harry bluntly. "My mum has a new baby now. I bet Goldie will be Mum's favourite. Mum actually gave birth to her. She just adopted me."

"That's nonsense, Harry," said Sadie, patting his arm. "You'll always be special to her. You were her first kid. Chip's no biological relative of mine, but I'm definitely his Mummy. This is perfectly normal."

Sadie was using herself as an example of 'perfectly normal!' What could be said about that?

"Uh huh. Right," he said aloud.

"Sadie is my Mummy," squeaked Chip. "My true Mummy, now. My Muggle parents did not believe I was anything other than a doll."

"And they thought I was just a sad, cracked girl who thinks her doll is real," said Sadie, shaking her head. "I will be Chip's true Mummy now. Just like Cora is yours."

"Your laughter always cheers me up," said Harry.

"Laughter?"

Harry began to tickle her so that she flailed her little thin arms and shrieked with laughter. He let her up and she clutched at him tightly, pressing her cold green nose against his. Her blue eyes were bright, her purple hair all dishevelled, and her heart was beating fast. "Why'd you do that, huh?"

With her pressing against him like that he realised that she had developed boobs. It was distracting.

"Just a momentary aberration. Sorry." He remembered their friend Tracy Davis saying that last term and he thought it sounded cool.

He let her push him onto the bed where she leaned over him, her purple hair tickling his cheek. "Copying Tracy now? Interesting? How'm I gonna make you behave?"

"How about reading him the comic?" squeaked Chip.

Sadie had a Muggle comic with the character Superman. "Courtesy of Colin Creevey," she said, waving it under Harry's nose. Creevey had been very taken with Sadie in their first term, even sneaking into Slytherin House at night to see her. He thought that the mask fused with her face made her look like a superheroine.

Sadie began to read the comic aloud by describing each panel. "So Superman is obviously one of the great wizards. He can even fly without a broom. Very few can. I can barely fly with a broom."

Sadie never could grasp that Muggle superheroes are not meant to be wizards.

"Now this Amazo the android can copy Superman's powers just by looking at him…"

"That doesn't make sense," squeaked Chip. "Where would the android get the energy from? The writers must think nanotech is magic. Magic doesn't make sense any more than the android does."

"Exactly," said Sadie. "Our birthright is chaos itself. The way the magic system works is completely arbitrary and no spell has any cost – it's not physics. It's just pointing a stick and saying funny words. Most Muggles think too much when they try to make up stories about magic. Magic is nonsensical. It is chaos. And since Dark Magic is greater chaos, it must be better. It's wonderful to be chaotic." She pointed at her work bench. "I've created a vampire plant. How can a thirteen year old witch do that? It makes about as much sense as a second year being able to brew Polyjuice Potion in secret in a toilet."

There was a very ugly plant on the bench. All tentacles, suckers and mouths ringed with spiny teeth.

"Feed me now, you lazy meatballs," it grumbled.

"Cute, isn't it?" Said Sadie happily. "Just a drop of darkness made it perfect."

She emptied a jar of dead beetles into the plants spiny maws.

They both went to sleep in Sadie's bed that night. Harry's dreams were troubled. He fancied that he was by the lake at Hogwarts when Sirius Black arose from the waters wrapped in garments soaked in brine. He glared at Harry, his eyes gleaming red. "Just wait, Harry Potter," he hissed. "What you learn next will break you!" He seized Harry with clammy hands and Harry sat up in bed, cold sweat on his brow.

"Sadie!"

His friend was asleep, her purple hair loose on the pillow. But she stirred at the sound of his voice. "Mm. Wassup Harry?"

"I had a nightmare."

Sadie smiled at him. "So did I. I dreamt I was eaten by a giant slime blob and passed through its bowels. Phwoar!" she shuddered with pleasure at the thought.

"I dreamt about Sirius Black!" said Harry.

She peered anxiously at his face. "It's alright, I'm here."

She snuggled against him and he hugged her tight, her cold cheek touching his. She began to murmur her favourite lullaby, sticking his name in it. "Hush, Harry, the Darkness will rise from the deep, and carry you down to sleep…"

Harry didn't think much of the lullaby, but her closeness was immensely comforting.

* * *

00O00

The next day they set off to Malfoy Manor where they rejoined their friends from Slytherin House. Tracy Davis was so delighted to see them that she hugged Harry and began snogging Sadie, not letting the small girl go.

Since Sadie and Tracy were preoccupied, Harry talked to the others about wizardly matters. "Are there any good bands going around this summer?" Harry asked. Draco had introduced him to some wizard music groups over the last summer, but he couldn't recall much about them.

"Celestina Warbeck has a hit," Pansy Parkinson said. "Her new song Splinched hearts."

Pansy begun to recite the song. Her voice was a lovely soprano and unlike Sadie, she could sing in tune. Harry admired how effortlessly she filled the air with clear song.

"Beautiful, Pansy," praised Daphne Greengrass.

"Such a girlie song," Theo said derisively. "If you want masculine stuff, try Wand Blaster, Harry."

"He'll go deaf from that noise," Pansy snapped back. "Plenty of boys listen to Celestina."

They began to scuffle.

"Blaster is decent," Crabbe contributed. Neither he nor Goyle was saying much. Both had hit puberty, and their voices were booming and squeaking a lot.

"You _would _like it," Pansy tossed back.

"Hey, _I _like it too," Millie Bulstrode piped up.

"It's barbaric yelling."

"So?"

Pansy threw up her hands.

"Wand Blaster is playing right before we go back to school. Dad says he's too old for music that loud, but he's letting me take my own broom out. And!" Theo exclaimed with a triumphant look. "No curfew!"

Everyone gasped in amazement. Theo looked very proud of himself. It was quite a feat, no curfew, at only age thirteen.

"The show starts early," Theo said a bit more calmly, "which means it gets out early."

"Probably the only reason he's letting you go," Daphne laughed.

"Probably," he admitted, "but I don't care. I get to go by myself. That's the huge part."

"Not by yourself," Harry told him. "I'm going with you."

"Father will never let me," Draco lamented.

"What else is going on?" Harry interrupted.

"Not much, I'm afraid," Daphne told him.

"Curses," Harry said, disappointed.

"We could practice curses, if you like, but we're not supposed to do magic outside of school."

Harry groaned along with the rest of his friends. No matter the subject, Daphne always managed to get in the last word.

"Well, that rule really only is applied to students who don't come from all-magic families," Theo reminded them.

"Speaking of students and school, how's everyone coming on their homework?" Pansy wanted to know. "I haven't even started yet."

"I'm nearly done," Tracy said, as she and Sadie finally broke apart. The blonde girl was one of the brightest witches in their form.

"That's disgusting," Daphne groaned. "How can you be done?"

"I've had a _curfew _this summer," she complained. "With that Sirius Black escaping from Azkaban, my mum and dad are paranoid that he's going to come knocking."

"He wouldn't knock," Draco interjected.

It was getting close on to supper time, and everyone had to go home. Nobody wanted to, but there was nothing for it.

"I'm not hungry," Crabbe rued.

"That's got to be a first," Draco noted.

* * *

00O00

Harry decided that he ought to take a look at his homework that night. It was depressing, in a way, but it would have been dishonest to try to pretend that it didn't exist. It had to get done sooner or later, so he might as well get it out of the way. It was well that he did open his folder, because the assignment from old McGonagall was monstrous.

They would soon be learning about transfiguring larger objects. It wasn't soon enough until sixth year and Advanced Transfiguration when they would begin to learn about human transformations, which was what sounded very entertaining to Harry. "I can't wait until I can give myself a forked tongue to mouth back at the old bat," he declared. He was sitting with Sadie and Draco in the Malfoy library with their books spread before them on the table.

Draco's laugh echoed down the stacks. "Oh that's priceless! You forgot about snake eyes as well though."

"Do you need help?" asked Sadie, touching his hand.

"Theo or Tracy would be a better bet for help with getting a high mark," said Draco with a sneer.

"Good evening," Mr. Malfoy greeted them as he strode into the library.

"Hello, Father," said Draco.

"Hello, Mister Malfoy," said Sadie and Harry.

"How goes the homework?"

"Badly," Draco said with bluntness. "We need our new books. Sinistra is calling for specific citations."

"I hadn't planned for the trip until the end of the month, but if you need the books, we can go tomorrow."

"Thank you, Father."

Since they couldn't really do their homework, they decided to look for interesting books in the shelves. Draco thumped a heavy book down, causing him to jump in surprise.

"I found the pictures of Grandfather Malfoy," Draco announced. "Abraxas Malfoy!"

"Oh?" said Harry.

"That's wonderful Draco," said Sadie, grinning. She had reappeared from between another pair of shelves, staggering slightly under the weight of a heavy book. _Demonological Dissertations_.

She peered at the photo. "Abraxas was someone you had to mind your Ps and Qs with," said Draco.

Sadie smiled at Draco with the lips of her mask, probably not knowing how to respond.

Draco wanted to go on about his relatives. Harry knew he should put up with it, because he was the guest.

"He died of Dragonpox," continued Draco.

"Aw. I'm sorry," said Sadie, patting him on the arm.

"What if I told you he was really strict and gave me a good thrashing when I pinched his wand?" demanded Draco.

"I – Um…" Sadie was clearly flustered. "Sorry… um… that was wrong. I'd never thrash anyone. I couldn't bear the thought of anyone thrashing Chip."

"You'd be a useless disciplinarian," said Draco with a sneer.

"Nonsense," said Sadie. She picked up Chip and cooed at him. "Kindness and a firm hand are all that's needed."

"That's right!" squeaked Chip.

"If Chip your doll were really alive, you couldn't handle him," said Draco.

"He is alive," said Sadie. "I loved him from that first moment I saw him. So pale and thin. So fragile as only a Muggle could be."

"Right," said Draco. "You could be the incurable weirdness poster child."

Draco did not believe Chip was anything more than a doll. What should Harry think?

Sadie smiled at Draco. "We can agree to disagree about that. We can both agree that every Malfoy is very smart and what real Dark Arts scholars should be like. Abraxas, Lucius, and Draco too."

"You're right about that," said Draco, swelling with pride.

"May I borrow this?" asked Sadie, pointing at Demonological Dissertations.

Draco agreed that she could. She could certainly work around him quite easily.

* * *

00O00

The next morning, Harry was awoken at dawn by Sadie breathing down his nostrils. She grinned and thrust a breakfast tray at him. "Bright and early," she said, kissing his cheek. She had already showered, and judging by the smell, she had done her hair dyeing routine. She had brought him toast, tea and porridge. It would do for a first breakfast. He would have second breakfast later.

Since it was so early, Harry had an hour to shower. The water here, like at Hogwarts, was always the perfect temperature. Living in the sewers, he'd always had to wash in a pool of cold but clean water Cora had discovered underground, where she caught eels for them to eat.

Harry regretfully shut off the water when Draco pounded on the door. He towelled off thoroughly and pulled his dressing gown back on before opening the door.

Draco was standing in the corridor with an impatient attitude, but he started coughing as he got a faceful of the steam billowing out of the bathroom.

"Blimey, Harry," he gasped. "The sauna's down on the ground floor."

"It wasn't hot enough," Harry retorted. "That needs to be looked at."

Draco coughed again. "I can't see a thing."

Harry chose to ignore that comment and strode past Draco, down the hall. The fine rug was deliciously pleasant to his bare feet. He jumped across the hardwood gap between the rugs.

The day looked as though it were going to be very pleasant, so Harry decided to wear just his robes. It would probably be much too warm with both robes and trousers. He'd worn just his pants under his robes at Christmas, when hundreds of people had been packed into Parkinson Place. The heat there had been almost oppressive at times. Diagon Alley, with the sun shining directly on _black _robes was likely to be worse.

He pulled out a sheet of parchment from his trunk and dipped one of his raven feather quills into the pot of ink on the desk. _Robes, _he wrote. _Black wool for school. _His school robes were about an inch and a half short on his wrist now. _New hat. Green everyday. Black everyday. Something for Christmas. _He'd had to borrow dress robes for the Christmas party, and Harry wanted clothes that wouldn't squeeze his neck. He'd need white for New Year's, he realized, writing it down. There was no way he was going to have all of these ready tomorrow.

"I'll just take the everyday and let the shop send me the rest," he decided.

His list for school ought to be arriving this morning, he figured. In any case, the bookshop would know. _What else do I need? _

Professor Snape, who taught Harry's favourite subject, Potions, had stressed the need for the highest quality of ingredients when potionmaking. He scribbled down several things he needed to replenish. Beetles and doxwood.

Hedwig hooted at him from his perch on top of the cage. _Owl treats, _he scrawled.

He glanced at Susie's tank. _Memo - snake_ _food,_ he scribbled

What did he need in Quality Quidditch Supplies? He checked his tin of broom polish. It was nearly empty: Harry took excellent care of his prized racing broom.

The Nimbus 2000 had been as good as new when he'd gotten it back from being repaired. During his last Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, the Seeker, Cedric Diggory, had pulled a sneaky play on him, and Harry and his broom had come off second-best.

Several of the twigs in the tail were growing wild, so he included a trimming kit on his list as well. Harry wondered if any new model brooms had come out yet. He and Draco would probably waste several hours in the store.

Harry wiped off his quill and put it away. He sprinkled sand across the parchment to dry the ink and rolled it up.

His wand sheath went on a special loop on his robes, and Harry felt that he was properly attired. He drew out the key to his Gringott's vault and tucked it into his pocket. His moneypouch, light as it was, he tied inside. It would be full soon enough, and then well on its way to being empty again shortly after.

It was time for a big second breakfast, and Harry hurried down to the dining room where Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were already at the table. "Good morning," he said cheerfully as he joined them.

"Good morning, Harry," Mr. Malfoy replied.

"Good morning, dear."

Harry couldn't decide which was better; the omelet or the fried potatoes. The omelet was filled with cheese and bacon, ham, sausage, onion and basil. The fried potatoes were cut into small pieces and tossed with bacon pieces, crumbled sausage, onion, and sprinkled with cheese.

Harry couldn't help but gulp his pumpkin juice in his excitement. Soon he'd be strolling down the length of Diagon Alley! When they were all assembled in front of the fireplace in the lounge, Harry reached for the Floo powder first.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to travelling this way," he said. "It makes me sick."

"It's nothing," said Draco impatiently.

"I'll go with you," said Sadie hurriedly. They held hands as they stepped into the fire.

"Diagonalley!" Harry said hurriedly.

With a sickening jolt, Harry felt himself spinning. _I don't think I'll ever get used to travelling this way, _he thought.

Harry felt a wave of vertigo wash over him, and he tumbled over, landing on a stone floor with a jarring thud. Sadie landed beside him, her purple hair all dishevelled and with specks of soot in it. "Whee! Wasn't that a fun ride?"

"No," grumbled Harry, staggering to his feet.

"I have to agree with Harry," squeaked Chip.

They stood up. Harry knew he'd never seen this place before. The place appeared to be some sort of dimly lit wizards' shop, but Harry was certain that nothing for sale here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list.

A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a blood-stained pack of playing cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. Even worse, the narrow, dark street Harry could see through the dirty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley.

"I don't like this!" squeaked Chip. "It's spooky."

Harry knew what he meant. The atmosphere of this shop made his skin prickle.

Sadie clapped her little hands together, her blue eyes gleaming with excitement. "A shop devoted to the Dark Arts! Wonderful!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Knockturn Alley**

Harry took a deep breath. "Okay, we're in a creepy shop that might as well have a sign posted reading 'Dark Arts Supply.'"

"We just have to get out of here," squeaked Chip.

"You're right," said Harry.

"Get out of here? Why?" said Sadie in surprise. "Look at it." She gestured around. "It's better than anywhere in Diagon Alley. I wish I had more money."

"Never mind," said Harry firmly. "We're leaving."

Sadie didn't seem to be listening. She pointed at a horrible object on a shelf – a hideous mummified thing. A shriveled monkey head, arms and torso sprouting from the body of a fish. It suddenly came alive, its eyes glaring and it snapped at Sadie's finger. She laughed. "Isn't it cute?"

"You really find that cute, Mummy?" asked Chip.

A stooping wizard with greasy hair hanging in ounces like flax came staggering out from the back to man the counter. "Yes? Oh. No children allowed here. Clear out."

Sadie pointed at the withered hand on the cushion. "A Hand of Glory! Isn't it, Sir? Great for sneaking around in the dark."

"That's right," said Borgin, curling his lip. "Best friend of thieves and plunderers. But it's beyond the means of an ill-mannered girl who goes around wearing an ugly mask."

"If I could take it off, I would," said Sadie in a cool voice, folding her little thin arms. "But my face underneath probably looks worse by now. I doubt I have any skin left after two years."

She turned to look at a magnificent opal necklace glittering on a wooden torso. A small sign read, _Caution: Cursed - Has claimed the lives of nineteen Muggle owners to date. _

Sadie gave a little start and bared her teeth in anger at the sight of it. "What's that doing there?" she demanded, breathing through her nose.

Harry guessed it was the idea of the cursed necklace killing nineteen Muggles that made her angry. Sadie was very sensitive about such things.

Mr Borgin sneered. "I have stopped it circulating in the Muggle world."

"Of – Of course," said Sadie, rubbing her green cheek. "You did well. Hm. To understand how to stop curses like that from ever being cast again, you have to analyse the cursed object. How much is the necklace?"

"Fifteen hundred galleons," said Mr Borgin coldly.

"Darkness!" Sadie muttered. "I can't afford that." She shook her head so that her purpled hair rippled and bounced. "Listen, I'm really interested in undeath, extreme undeath and the reversion of death. What's your most potent item in this line?"

"Nothing that I'd show a silly little girl like you," Borgin bristled.

"I'm not silly!" said Sadie, awkwardly sticking out the lips of her mask in a pout. It was impressive that she could still pout. "Listen, the Wamphyri Elders were immortal – wamphyres are vampires that have transcended undeath. Don't you have wamphyri items?"

At that point, the shop door opened and a small bell clanged announcing a new customer - Lucius Malfoy!

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. They'd been found!

Mr Borgin rubbed his hands together and immediately adopted an oily tone. "Ah, Mister Malfoy, do come in. I was merely answering the nonsensical inquiries of this unreasonable girl."

"Mister Borgin," Mr. Malfoy said urbanely. "Do speak of her with just a little courtesy. She is tagging along with myself and Harry Potter here."

Borgin coughed. "No offense meant, Sirs, no offense."

"We must speak soon, Borgin, but I have other business to attend to at the moment."

"Always a pleasure, Mister Malfoy."

Lucius beckoned and Harry followed him to the door.

"Hang on!" said Sadie. She pointed at a mummified paw on a shelf. "Is that a Monkey's Paw?"

Lucius took her by her skinny arm and dragged her out.

"Wait, wait!" cried Sadie.

"It's best we just get out of this place, Mummy," squeaked Chip.

Harry followed them out into the dingy alleyway. The whole place seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. The one he'd just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but just opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads. Two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders.

Sadie gave a little moan and tried to break free and dive into one of these shops.

"Just behave until we're out of here!" said Lucius. "While you're riding Harry's coat tails, you're safety is my responsibility."

"Where are we?" Harry asked quietly.

"Knockturn Alley," Mr. Malfoy answered just as quietly. "This is a place where people don't ask questions."

They passed in front of a shop selling poisonous candles. There was a hag standing in the shadows holding a tray.

Harry grinned at the sight of her. It was not Cora, but the sight of a hag naturally made him happy. He loved hags simply because his mother was one. He made towards her, but Lucius gripped his arm as well.

"I see you are as big a fool as Miss McIntyre," Lucius said, dragging them both.

"What happened? How did we get here?" Said Harry.

"I suspect that you spoke your destination too hastily. You went one too far and landed in Borgin's shop."

"How did you know where to find us?"

Mr. Malfoy smiled. "Borgin and I do quite a bit of business. It is fortunate that he didn't throw you out. Some of the denizens of this place would be all too glad to do you harm."

Harry could see the pillars of Gringotts Bank just up ahead. They left the dim and dirty place behind. There was Mrs. Malfoy waiting with Draco.

"Took a trip to Knockturn Alley?" said Draco, raising an eyebrow over a cold grey eye. "Lucky things."

"Listen, I really do need to explore the place," said Sadie.

"Don't be absurd!" said Narcissa sharply.

As they climbed the steps of Gringotts, Harry noticed a rather large poster pasted on the pillars. It featured the man from the front page of the _Daily Prophet _, Sirius Black. His sunken eyes burned. Harry shivered, though the day was warm.

**WANTED!**

**Sirius Black**

**Escaped from Azkaban Prison**

**Extremely Dangerous!**

The queue was surprisingly empty, so they stepped right up to the first counter. Mr. Malfoy placed a golden key on the counter. "Lucius Malfoy, vault six hundred nine."

"Harry Potter, vault six-eight-seven, please," Harry said, laying his key beside it.

"Sadie McIntyre, vault six-thirteen," said Sadie, laying a smaller silver key down.

The goblin inspected the keys carefully before handing them back. "Griphook, take them down."

Only Mr. Malfoy got into the cart with him and Sadie. "Narcissa, please take Draco to Madam Malkin's. We're going to occupy quite a bit of her time today, I believe. Best to start early. We'll be along soon."

Harry took his seat in the cart with trepidation. The awful Gringotts carts were more than dizzying enough to help one throw up all over the place. It hadn't happened to Harry yet, but it had been close.

The cart started to roll, and so did Harry's stomach. He held on for his dignity as the awful cart flew down the metal rails with a vicious speed. Sadie kept her arms tight around him for which he was grateful.

"It's like a roller coaster!" observed Chip.

"It's nothing to worry about," said Lucius. "Only a Muggle would complain."

Harry determined not to complain.

They screeched to a halt, and Harry collapsed against the side. Sadie gazed up at him through the holes in her mask with anxious blue eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just give me a minute," said Harry.

Sadie touched his cheek and he thrilled at her touch.

"Harry's conquered certain death more than once," squeaked Chip. "The cart ride's a piece of cake for him. Mind you, I don't know quite how bad the ride is, cos I don't have a human digestive system anymore."

"That's right my little love," said Sadie kissing him lightly – she did this by rather awkwardly by brushing his paper mask with the lips of her green one.

Lucius and the goblin were at the door to the Malfoy vault.

"Six-zero-nine." Griphook took the key from Mr. Malfoy and unlocked the vault. The contents of the vault made Harry's eyes bug out of his head. It was much huger than his own. Gold coloured Galleons and silver Sickles were stacked in towering columns. Bars of solid gold and a brighter, silvery white metal were criss-crossed in the corners. Gemstones of myriad bright colours sparkled in the torchlight. There were statues that included giant gold eagles and silvery white serpents. There were chalices and ornate shields. Aladdin's cave surely had nothing on this!

"Wow," was all Harry could think to say.

"The Darkness has blessed you with great wealth, true believer" said Sadie, with a funny curtsey she had used at the Dark rite the previous winter.

Mr. Malfoy removed a black velvet pouch with a silver drawstring from his pocket. With a wave of his wand, a small mountain of coins disappeared into the pouch. Though it seemed no fuller, Mr. Malfoy put his moneybag back into his robes.

Harry's wealth, the heaps of money he'd once thought so enormous, seemed trivially small by comparison. He took only Galleons this time.

The McIntyre vault was even less impressive. Sadie carefully measured a smaller number of Galleons with some Sickles.

When they got back up to street level, Harry was glad for the fresh air and sunshine. Nifty as it might be to get to one's money by taking a barely controlled ride in a goblin-driven cart, it was something Harry was glad he only had to do about once a year.

The first place he wanted to go was Quality Quidditch Supplies. If he was going to waste time, he intended to do it early. He and Sadie were practically running in order to keep up with Mr. Malfoy's long strides. Sadie was panting.

"Look at the crowd," said Lucius, indicating the crowd around Quality Quidditch Supplies. "I will not wait for them."

Sadie smiled sympathetically up at Harry. "Not to worry. I'm sure you'll get your chance."

"I _want _to go, but I also need to buy things in there," Harry replied.

Getting new robes was a tedious affair, involving much standing still and being told not to fidget. Harry's fittings alone took nearly an hour, and there was quite a line when they were finished with business. Harry arranged for his robes to be sent by owl, and gladly gave up his place on the stool to the next boy in line.

Once their robes were fitted, Draco was just as eager to go off on their own as Harry was, but Mr. Malfoy was hearing none of it. "If you hadn't noticed, there's an escaped maniac on the loose. It would be foolhardy to allow you to roam unprotected."

"But Father -"

"Draco, is it possible for you to obey me just once without this babyish protesting?" Mr. Malfoy demanded. "I am your father, and you will do as I say."

Sadie gently touched Draco on the arm to console him.

Draco paused to think before he spoke. "Yes, Father," he said contritely.

Lucius was what Harry dreamed a father should be. Strong and authoritative. He was not the only parent keeping a close watch on his children. Everywhere Harry looked, groups of students had several adults hovering nearby. Harry saw dozens of those Wanted posters pasted everywhere. He almost walked right past the Apothecary, wallpapered as it was with pictures of Sirius Black.

Once inside, Harry made sure to select only the most perfect specimens. Professor Snape, the Potions Master, had told them countless times that the quality of the potion was reflective of the ingredients, and Harry valued the man's opinion. They finally had to drag Sadie away from a display of live spiders which she thought were like the ones on display in Knockturn Alley.

"Where to now?" Harry asked.

"Flourish and Blotts. We're in luck; it's not very busy."

Instead of the usual display of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs in the bookshop's front window, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred books that seemed to be alive! Even more strange, the books appeared to be ill-tempered! Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.

Sadie giggled. "Aren't they cute?"

"What are those?" Harry asked.

"Books."

"Shut up, Draco."

"Attack books? Specially trained?"

"Shut _up_, Draco."

As they stepped through the doors, the manager came hurrying towards them. "Hogwarts?" he asked abruptly. "Come to get your new books?"

"Yes, we need-"

"Get out of the way," the man said impatiently, brushing them aside. He pulled on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and headed toward the door of the iron cage.

"Hang about," Draco said. "What book is that? I really hope we don't need it."

"It's _The Monster Book of Monsters _."

"Not on my list," said Harry, checking.

"Nor mine."

"Aw. Not on mine either," said Sadie. "It does look like a sweet little book."

"Thank heavens!" the manager exclaimed as a look of enormous relief spread over his face. "I've been bitten five times already this morning, and-"

"Aw no, are you OK?" asked Sadie.

At that moment there came a distraction. A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the _Monster Books _had seized another and were pulling it apart.

"No! No! Stop! Stop it!" cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. "I'm never stocking these again, never! It's been pure chaos! I lost at least ten before selling one!"

"Magic often makes everything harder," Chip observed. "Are witches and wizards so impractical?"

"Yes, we are," said Sadie, smiling with the lips of her mask.

"We're here for the standard school books," said Lucius.

"We need _Intermediate Transfiguration, The Standard Book of Spells - Grade Three, Intermediate Astronomy, A Beginner's Guide to Arithmancy, _and _Decyphering Runic Structures _." Harry was very curious to see his book for Ancient Runes.

"Right this way, then."

With a bag full of books each, they went to the pet store for owl treats and cat food for Dennis, Sadie's cat. Now they were finally done with the necessary bits and could head to Quality Quidditch Supplies!

The crowd was still milling around in front of the shop. Harry and Draco pushed through the throng, wondering what could possibly be so interesting. It hadn't been this crowded when the Nimbus 2000 had been displayed in the window. Now a new broom rested in the place of honour.

"Just come out - fastest broom in the world - prototype -" came fragments of conversation through the hubbub.

"Irish International bought seven," another wizard said with certainty.

The broom was magnificent. The curvy handle was polished to such a brightness that it was blinding. The tail twigs looked too perfect to be made of wood. A strange metal bit was also attached, a place to rest one's foot; Harry had never seen anything like it before.

**The Firebolt**

This state-of-the-art racing broom sports a streamlined, superfine handle of ash, treated with a diamond-hard polish and hand-numbered with its own registration number. Each individually selected birch twig in the broomtail has been honed to aerodynamic perfection, giving the Firebolt unsurpassable balance and pinpoint precision. The Firebolt has an acceleration of 150 miles per hour in ten seconds and incorporates an unbreakable Braking Charm. Price on request.

Harry was practically drooling over the Firebolt, and Draco wasn't much better. He didn't want to think about how much the broom cost. "Price on request" was a euphemism for "Far too much money".

The only new book he could find was about Keeper tactics.

"What use is that, when the Keeper plays such a minor role?" wondered Chip. "Quidditch is really down to the Seekers and Beaters."

"I don't know either," said Sadie.

"Don't talk about Quidditch. You can't even fly," said Draco with a sneer.

Harry's eyes were drawn, time and again, to the awe-inspiring Firebolt. Finally he could stand wondering no longer.

"How much is that Firebolt in the window?" Harry asked, afraid of the answer.

"Five hundred, twenty-seven Galleons," the manager informed him.

That was a staggering amount of money. All of Harry's supplies two years ago, when he had spent the most, had barely come to twenty-seven Galleons. Even Mr. Malfoy, with the uncountable Malfoy wealth, winced at the pronouncement.

Sadie patted Harry's arm in sympathy. "Never mind. You have a really good broom already."

She was right. Harry had a perfectly good broom; the Nimbus 2000 had been top-notch only two years ago and was still the best broom at Hogwarts.

* * *

00O00

By the time they had all returned to Malfoy Manor and washed and eaten, it had been deemed too late for them to be outside. Harry, Draco and Sadie situated themselves in the library, hard at work on their summer assignments. Professor Sinistra's task of charting the progress of a comet through the first two weeks of August seemed particularly sinister. They had to find the comet and identify it based on the path as it passed through the various constellations. It was an onerous project, but Harry had a distinct advantage: the orrery that Mr. Nott had given him last Christmas.

"Wish we could fly," muttered Harry. "I've flown in bad conditions. The dark is nothing."

"I'd like to fly with you too," squeaked Chip. "You're a natural flier. Mummy can't really fly."

"Your doll's observant," Draco told Sadie. "Anyway," he addressed Harry: "It's not just the daylight, you know. There's also the mad Sirius Black on the loose."

"You don't sound like you're worried. Didn't he kill a bunch of people?"

"Yes. Let's not be complacent," said Sadie.

"We're not complacent," said Draco. "He did sort of spend twelve years in Azkaban," Draco pointed out. "He's got to be completely homicidal by now. He might turn on those to whom he was once close."

_Once close? _"What?"

"We're not supposed to speak of it," Draco lowered his voice. "But anyway… Here, let me get the family tree."

Draco went over to the window and began dragging over a potted _Dracaena sanderiana _. Harry watched quizzically. Draco pulled the plant to the table and went to a shelf and retrieved a large scroll. He pinned the top of the scroll to the bamboo and unrolled it, fastening the bottom as well.

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

"This is the family tree. You can see that Sirius Black is actually our cousin. Mother has one sister, and Cousin Sirius had one brother, Regulus. Mother's father was Cygnus Black, and Cousin Sirius' mother was Walburga Black. Cygnus and Walburga were brother and sister."

The Black family was very extensive and very old, going back centuries. Harry traced along the branches with interest. In branches far back, Harry recognized a few names of his fellow Slytherins. He saw McIntyre, Nott, Goodewinter, Parkinson, Malfoy, Bulstrode, and even one Black that had married into the Potter family!

"He's my cousin too!"

"So am I!" Draco exclaimed. "Look! We're second cousins."

He grabbed Draco by the shoulders. "Cousin!" he gasped.

Draco embraced him in a strong hug. "Cousin!" he said in a voice thick with sentiment.

Sadie clasped her little hands together beaming.

A couple of seconds later the embrace broke apart. Harry coughed several times. Draco shuffled his feet.

Sadie pored over the family tree. "I'm Draco's third cousin four times removed… or is that fourth cousin three times removed…?"

"We ought to get back to this rubbish assignment," said Draco.

Dobby the house elf appeared at that moment, bowing before Harry and rubbing his hands together. "Master would like to see Harry Potter in his office."

Harry gladly put down his quill, which he hadn't yet had a chance to dip in fresh ink. "Write the rest of that for me, would you, Draco?"

"Absolutely not!"

Harry made his way up to Mr. Malfoy's office. At the top of the stairs he turned left and knocked on the door. His fist barely made any noise rapping on the heavy oak. Still, he heard a voice clearly saying, "Enter!"

Harry had been in here once before and been suitably impressed. It was a room with a large desk, a large comfy armchair, portraits on the wall, and lots of interesting things on the shelves: dozens and dozens of books, portraits, masks, jewellery, vials of strange liquids, boxes, and plants.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Harry. A portrait informs me that Draco has told you about Sirius Black and his connection to this family."

"Yes, sir."

Mr. Malfoy's face grew very sombre. "What he probably did not tell you is going to be difficult for you to hear, Harry. I warn you now, it is awful. I leave the choice to you."

Harry blinked. "What do you mean?"

"There is a great deal to the story of Sirius Black, and it involves you intimately. I can give you this knowledge, but I fear that the knowing will severely affect you. I cannot make this choice for you. It must be yours."

This was all very mysterious, and Harry was tired of mystery. "Tell me."

"Sirius Black betrayed his family, was disowned. He found a new home in Gryffindor. He was very close to your father."

"My father!"

Mr. Malfoy nodded. "James Potter and Sirius Black were the closest of friends at Hogwarts; Professor Snape knew them better than I, but something changed after they left school. When your parents went into hiding, Black was the only person who knew where they were. He betrayed them to the Dark Lord."

A dry wheeze escaped from Harry's throat. He felt like he'd been sucker-punched in the gut. He gasped for air, grabbing the arm of the chair. Black had betrayed his parents!

"He was their friend!" he cried. Harry couldn't believe that a friend would do such a thing. He would never betray his own gang, no matter what. They meant too much so much to him - he would sooner die. How this Black, this coward, had sunk so low was unfathomable!

Harry felt tears running down his face.

"What else do you know?"

"That is all I know. The Dark Lord operated in the greatest secrecy. No one but he knew all his shady goings on."

This was all coming way too roughly for Harry. He sat down in the chair and took a deep breath.

"Harry my boy, I'm sorry I had to tell you this. It's not something a boy ought to be concerned with, but Black is out there somewhere. He is the first to ever escape from Azkaban fortress. We all thought that was impossible. I suspect he must have been greatly favoured by the Dark Lord and knows Dark Arts and demonic secrets that the rest of us can only dream of. Black is certainly crazed, and I believe that he is going to try to do you harm. Perhaps he will try to finish his master's work, or he might have delusions that killing you will bring the Dark Lord back. I don't know, but I heard it through the Ministry grape vine that he muttered in his dreams, 'He's at Hogwarts.'"

Chills were running through Harry's mind. The one who betrayed his father and mother was on the loose, perhaps hunting down Harry to kill him. He felt a twinge of fear. Thirteen people with a single curse, he remembered. That emotion he shoved away with a firm thought.

_He betrayed my family. I don't care what it takes, I'm going to see him destroyed. _

Of course he didn't know how he was going to do that precisely, but he would just have to figure it out.

Mr. Malfoy was watching him intently. "Now the Ministry has trained professionals on the hunt for Black. Unfortunately the number of Hit Wizards and Aurors is very low compared to the vastness that must be searched. Tips on his location come in all day long, most of them falsified. He arranges it, you see, to tie up our resources. Black is very clever indeed, and it's that trait I would advise you to keep in mind. Most of all, I want you to promise me that you won't go looking for Black."

"Why would I do that?" Harry asked automatically; he'd been thinking exactly that.

"Vengeance," Mr. Malfoy said intensely, "but a thirteen year old wizard cannot even dream of such things. I implore you to stay at Hogwarts where it is safe and let the Ministry do its job, even if they're not that efficient. Professor Snape will ensure that no harm comes to any of you. I have more faith in him than in the Ministry."

"Very well," Harry reluctantly agreed. "What about Hogsmeade? I won't be left out of going to Hogsmeade village." The only all-wizarding community in Britain was allowed to be visited on certain weekends through the school year by students in third year and above provided they had a signed permission slip. Would Cora allow him to go with Black on the loose?

"You should not go to Hogsmeade. The shops there are not worth the risk. The include a joke shop and a sweet shop and that's about it. If you must have something from either, give the money to one of the others. Though I daresay a few of them will find themselves in the same predicament."

Harry walked out of the office. He didn't remember ending up out by the fountain, but as he stared into the bubbling waters a firm resolve was building in his heart.

"One way or another, I am going to destroy you, Sirius Black," Harry vowed to the night. "Whatever it takes…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Music is Magic**

As Harry stood by the fountain in the dark, Sadie came up to him. She sat on the side of the fountain, her little legs swinging. "Nice night for a walk," she said. She gazed at his face with bright blue eyes. "What's wrong?"

Harry couldn't keep anything from her. She was the one and only person he had kept absolutely no secrets from in two years!

"Lucius told me something," said Harry. He swallowed. There was a lump in his throat.

Sadie touched his cheek with a little hand. "It's alright," she said softly. "I'm here."

"Mummy's here alright," squeaked Chip.

"Sirius Black was my dad's best friend and he betrayed my dad and my birth mum to Voldemort," said Harry in a rush.

Sadie's mouth fell open and her eyes grew wider. "Darkness!" She drew a long slow breath. "Harry… come to bed!"

"Sorry, what?"

Her sky blue stare was so entrancing he didn't want to break eye contact… "You shouldn't be alone. Not at a time like this."

"Not taking a trip through the Floo anymore, Mummy?" asked Chip.

"The Floo can wait," said Sadie.

Back in their shared bedroom the star lamps were glimmering near the ceiling. They sat on Sadie's bed and she put her skinny arm around him.

"Tell me how you're feeling Harry," said Sadie in a steady voice. The star lamps moved around the ceiling, sprinkling little dots of light over her green face.

At that moment, Draco came bursting into the room with Harry's bag of homework. He dumped it on the floor. "Don't you want to do this garbage?" He stared at them. "What's up with you two."

"Draco, please…" Sadie began, but Harry stood up. He felt a surge of anger at Sirius Black. Everyone might as well know.

"I hate Sirius Black!" said Harry. "Lucius just told me everything. Sirius Black betrayed my mum and dad to Voldemort! I want to kill the traitor!"

"Wow. You're a man of action," said Draco.

There were tears in Sadie's blue eyes, sparkling with the prismatic lights of the star lamps. She stood up on the bed to wrap her arms around him. Her boobs mashed into his back. It was distracting.

"Please Harry, please … You are right to be angry. Anyone in your shoes would feel exactly the same, but you mustn't put yourself in danger. It's what Black would want." Her high voice was trembling with emotion and now she began to cry, her skinny body trembling with her sobs. "I – I – couldn't bear it if anything happened to you."

Her tears distracted Harry from his rage at Black. Harry didn't want her to cry, so he quickly took her into his arms and hugged her much too tight, so that she squeaked. Her cold plastic cheek was pressed against his face. Her mask was wet with her tears. Her boobs were mashed against his chest now… That really was distracting.

"Yeah, probably best not go looking for Black," said Draco. "If he killed you we'd never win at Quidditch."

"It's not about stupid Quidditch!" squeaked Sadie in high indignation. She turned around and sat on Harry's knee so she could glare at Draco.

"Keep your purple hair on," said Draco.

Sadie sniffed. "Stay with me tonight, Harry," she said. "I'll read to you. I'll read to all my boys."

"No thanks!" Said Draco.

"I'd like that," squeaked Chip.

Dennis the kitten hopped onto the bed with a chirrup. "Hey Dennis," said Sadie, stroking his head. "Draco, could a house elf please bring us a snack?"

Draco clapped his hands and Nibby and Dobby the house elves appeared with a pop.

"Harry Potter is in emotional pain?" said Dobby, rubbing his hands together. "Dobby thinks perhaps some physical pain would cheer him up, like it does Dobby." Dobby licked his lips.

"Get out, you crazy old thing!" snapped Draco. Dobby disappeared with a crack.

Sadie smiled at Nibby. "Hey there Nibby. Would you please get us bread, milk and cocoa…"

"Don't forget treacle tart," said Harry.

"And don't forget to hurry up!" said Draco.

"Noo, take all the time you need," said Sadie anxiously as the elf disappeared.

When they were washed and ready for bed, Dennis the kitten was curled up at the foot of the bed and the tray of food was in the middle. Sadie insisted on tucking in Harry and Chip. "There you are, my love," she said, trying to kiss Harry (awkwardly brushing the lips of her mask on his forehead).

"There you are, my little love," she said, trying to kiss Chip in the same way, tucking him into the corner of the bed.

Sadie looked sort of funny with her overlarge purple nightie and her green face, crouching over Chip the tiny homunculus. Harry could not suppress a smile.

"Never had a mother like you before," giggled Chip. "You're so different. But different as in surprising and sweet."

"Thank you!" said Sadie, grinning.

Harry thought of his own mother. Cora would most likely panic when she heard about Sirius Black. Dumbledore probably wouldn't bother to tell her, but would she find a newspaper? She didn't habitually read the Daily Prophet, the Ministry's sleazy propaganda tool.

Sadie slipped into the bed between Chip and Harry. He could see the shape of her boobs underneath her nightie now. Awkward. He looked away, but she touched his arm. "How are you feeling Harry?" she asked softly.

"Oh, er… fine!" he said awkwardly.

At that moment, Sadie grimaced and put a hand to her belly. "Darkness."

"Are you in pain, Mummy?" asked Chip.

"Just cramps, but it's nothing, my sweet little boy," she said, scooping Chip up in her arms and cradling him. "I just wuv you so much, yes I do!" she tickled his belly. "Does silly Mummy wuv you more than Darkness itself?"

Harry was so used to weirdness from Sadie that he didn't bat an eyelid.

"Hee hee!" Chip waved his stumpy arms and legs around. "Remember the story, Mummy."

"Ah yes!" Sadie held up a slim paperback book. "Chip recommended this. The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy."

It was a Muggle children's book from the 1970s about a hapless witch girl named Mildred Hubble. Harry thought it remarkable how much the school for young witches was like Hogwarts and Miss Hardbroom, the mean Potions Mistress, looked just like McGonagall and as for Ethel Hallow Mildred's enemy, a blond girl with a pointy face...

"She could be Draco's sister!" giggled Chip.

"Well my Darkness!" said Sadie. "This is all rather strange. Muggle's usually have the wrong ideas about magic, but the Worst Witch magical system is as incoherent as ours. And their castle even has a Great Hall, like Hogwarts."

"And the Grand Wizard…?" said Chip.

"Hellibore…? Oh! Tell me that's not Dumbledore!" said Sadie, her blue eyes widening as she saw the picture of Hellibore on the page. "No plot is truly original, but still…"

Feeling calm with her beside him, Harry lay down. Sadie leaned over him. "How are you feeling now, Harry?" Her big blue eyes were anxious and shining with tears. Was she crying again?

Harry brushed a tear away from her green cheek. "Moody much? Don't worry, I can't stay mad when I'm with you."

"You wouldn't go looking for Black, would you?" she pressed, the bottom lip of her mask quivering.

"Harry has more sense that that," squeaked Chip.

"I wouldn't say that, Chip," said Harry. "I'm going to ignore your Mummy and ask Ron Weasley for advice instead."

Sadie's mask creased as she pulled a weird face at him. "Tut tut. You're naughty all of a sudden."

"Just making you laugh," said Harry.

"Laugh?"

He started tickling her so that she screamed with laughter and flailed her skinny arms and legs.

As soon as he stopped she clutched at him and they lay together. Sadie's heart was thumping hard and her boobs were mashed into his chest. Harry's heart was thumping hard with excitement too.

"Never mind. Hugs." He squeezed her tight in his arms so that she squeaked.

"Don't do anything stupid," she murmured into his ear, her warm breath tickling. "Don't ever get hurt. Stay with me forever and ever."

Harry felt all warm and glowing with her in his arms. He didn't ever want to let her go. Thoughts of Sirius Black faded from his mind the way a nightmare fades at dawn.

She pressed her cold, hard green nose against his. He gazed into her intense blue eyes and she gazed back. He didn't want to look away.

"It'll make Mummy happy if you stay with her forever and ever!" urged Chip.

The feel of Sadie in his arms, the feel of her boobs against his chest… staring into her eyes, could Harry refuse her anything?

But at that moment Draco and Dobby came bursting into the room. Draco was chasing Dobby.

Harry and Sadie broke apart and stared in bewilderment.

"You creepy old elf!" said Draco.

Draco kicked Dobby, causing the elf to squeal.

"Draco! Don't!" protested Sadie.

Dobby ignored Sadie and turned to Harry, holding out his hands beseechingly. "Speak up for Dobby, Harry Potter. Dobby is not so bad. He is telling the truth now. He's curious as to what telling the truth is like."

"What's the problem, Draco?" asked Harry.

Draco gestured at Dobby in disgust. "First he fawns all over you in that revolting fashion, now he wants a picture of you? Ugh!"

"Only because Harry Potter is great and noble and a shining example to us all," said Dobby unctuously. "Dobby only wishes he could be so good."

"Harry has done inspiring things," said Chip.

Sadie was gazing at the elf with narrowed eyes.

"If you're good, I'll think of a favour you can do for me, Dobby," said Harry. "Right now I'd like to get some sleep."

He wanted to be able to sleep with Sadie in his arms.

* * *

00O00

The next day was the day of the concert with Theo. Harry and Sadie went down to the sitting room where Draco was waiting, Harry carrying an overnight bag. "I can't believe Father won't let me go."

"Aw. We'll tell you all about it," said Sadie. She too had an overnight bag. Chip's head was peeping out of it.

They went up to the fireplace.

"Casa de Nott," Harry said as he threw his Floo powder and they stepped into the green flames.

Millie was already waiting with Theo, who looked fierce in his get-up. Sadie was dressed in her purple robe with the hood.

"Good, you're early!" said Theo. "Let's go!"

"Apple barn on wayside!"

The trip through the Floo was awful for Harry, as it always was. He fought back wooziness as he stumbled out of the very large fireplace. Theo and the girls, by contrast, didn't mind Floo travel in the least. Theo and Sadie helped Harry stand.

"Buck up, Harry!" said Theo.

"Let's get you something cold to drink," said Sadie. "You'll feel better."

"With all this nausea inducing travel, I'm glad I don't have a real stomach anymore," said Chip.

The large barn was heavily renovated. Large speakers and tracks of lighting ran along the walls. A stage was set up in the centre. Seating areas were scattered around the edges, with lots of dance floor in the space leading up to the stage. Two expansive bars were on either side of the barn.

The place was a pleasantly unfolding chaos, as young people milled around, colliding, spilling drinks, and talking very loud. The crowd was young, with nobody older than the kids at Hogwarts. In fact Harry recognized a few students here and there, but nobody he he knew. Harry couldn't spot anybody who appeared to be younger than him, either.

He grinned. "We're out with the older kids!"

"We sure are!" said Sadie.

"I'm at my first magical concert!" squeaked Chip. "When I was alive, nothing so interesting happened."

"Aw! I hope you find it truly magical, darling," said Sadie. "It would be best if it were something dark and scary. Something to make all our dreams a little darker. But this is a good introduction to music in your new life."

"You're perfectly weird today," said Theo. "Which means 'normal' for you."

"When does the music start?" Harry asked Millie, who was admiring the size of the speaker.

"We're early," she replied. "Probably another few minutes yet."

"Harry! Sadie! Hi!"

Colin Creevey from Gryffindor House was running up to them!

"Oh Merlin!" groaned Theo.

Harry knew what Theo meant. Colin was… a lot.

"Theeo…" admonished Sadie. "Be nice… Hey, Colin!" she said, grinning at the Gryffindor.

Colin flung his arms around her. "A real magic concert!"

Sadie cupped his face in her little hands. "How have you been Colin?"

Harry supposed she was concerned because Colin had been petrified the previous year. But the Muggleborns who were revived after being petrified didn't suffer any lingering effects.

"Oh fine," said Colin. "But I couldn't do all that homework we had for the summer. I was petrified for six or seven months and the school never took it into account."

"What! That's outrageous." Sadie was breathing through her nose. "How could Dumbledore and McGonagall forget all you've been through."

"Just his homework… who cares?" asked Millie.

"I do care," said Sadie.

Colin beamed at her. "I love your funny robe. Let's everyone see you're a superheroine! Are you still mad at me, by the way?"

Sadie smiled at him. "I was mad at you for taking a stupid risk and wandering around the corridors so you got petrified… But now I'm just glad you're all better."

"Harry! Harry!"

Hearing his name called, he turned and saw Padma Patil and her twin sister Parvati moving through the crowd towards him. The girls were in Harry's year at Hogwarts, though neither was in Slytherin. Padma was a Ravenclaw, while Parvati was in Gryffindor.

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, very surprised to see them. "What are you doing here?"

"We're ready to rock!" Parvati clapped her hands. "I've been waiting for this all summer."

"Padma?"

"Well, Parvati wanted this more than anything for her birthday present, but Mum and Dad absolutely refuse to hear any music other than their own. They would never go to a concert. So they said that Parvati could go if I went with her. As you see, here we are."

The Patils were ignoring the other Slytherins at this point. Harry's celebrity status certainly made a difference.

"Happy birthday to you both," Harry said at once.

"You're quite the enthusiast, Nott," Parvati said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Where'd you steal the Quidditch gear?"

"Harry loaned it to me. I couldn't talk him into wearing it."

"Thank Merlin for that," Padma said slyly. "It would be too strange to see him in all that without the green and silver."

"I do love my green," Harry admitted, putting an arm around Sadie's shoulders and thinking fondly of both Sadie and his mother Cora.

"Oh look, McIntyre's got boobs now," said Parvati, staring dispassionately at Sadie's chest. "Who'd have thought she'd grow up fastest?"

"It's just chance," said Sadie embarrassed. "Um… all the girls will have boobs soon enough."

"She has a head start on being a Mum," said Millie, smirking. "She actually believes her doll's a real little boy!"

"I am a real boy," piped Chip.

"Hey! Don't make fun of her!" said Colin crossly. "If she says her doll's a real boy, then he must be!"

"Right Colin," said Parvati smirking at him. "You're so sensible and realistic."

"Where's Parkinson?" Padma asked. "Does the loud noise frighten her?"

"It does," Theo nodded. "It's one of her lesser qualities."

"Don't badmouth Pansy to the Gryffindor," Millie admonished him with a laugh.

"Yes, let's be nice," said Sadie.

"You be nice McIntyre. The rest of us can backbite if we want," Parvati snickered. "We all know how I feel about Parkinson."

"Harry doesn't," Theo pointed out.

"Well you don't seem to be the _best _of friends," Harry said dryly. Their history went back beyond Hogwarts, he knew.

"We used to play over at Pansy's house when we were small," Padma said to Harry. "Her mother invited ours over sometimes, and we'd get dragged along. It was usually a decent time; very entertaining to watch Parvati and Pansy quarrel. Then in our Etiquette lessons, they had to be excruciatingly polite to each other."

"Did she throw clods of mud at you too?" Theo inquired of Parvati.

"Until I got her in the face with a clod of dung," she giggled.

Sadie shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Is that where Pansy's potty mouth comes from?" Millie laughed.

"It must be," Parvati declared. "There's no other logic for it, given she's also the purest of purebloods."

"Purebloods are from all over the world? That's soo cool!" said Colin. "You're so cool," he added tactfully to Parvati who puffed up with pride.

"Yes…" she said. "Our lineage in India can be traced back millennia."

"My dad's family tree can likewise be traced back in China," said Sadie. "And my Mum's in Scotland."

Just then there was a thunderous detonation! Plumes of smoke rose from the stage as five people materialized out of thin air. Seconds later a guitar chord reverberated from the speakers. The crowd began to whoop and shout as the show began!

Pansy had been correct about Wand Blaster as garbled words screamed over rapid guitar. The drums were also frenzied. Harry thought it was all wonderful.

When their first song finished, the cheers rang loudly through the apple barn. The band members all bowed deeply, and Harry joined in with the applause.

"Play something harder!" Parvati shouted out as the applause died down.

"Yes, ma'am," the singer nodded. "Would yeh like ter hear - 'Smash, Bash and Boom?"

Parvati's scream mixed in with those of the rest of the crowd as the bass guitar started thrumming a rapid line of notes. Then the drums kicked in, setting the tempo. Colin, Theo, Millie, and Parvati melted into the throng in front of the stage, rocking out on the dance floor for all they were worth. Harry was left standing with Sadie and Padma. Padma was bobbing her head in time to the music. Sadie wasn't.

"What do you think of the concert, Sadie?" asked Harry.

"It – It's good… I prefer a ghostly chorus," said Sadie. "Or night-hag music. Something that makes dreams spooky. But enough about me. I'm glad you're enjoying it Harry. And Chip, my precious little spook."

"I don't need the music to be spooky," chuckled Chip.

When the song was over, Harry needed something to drink. "Thirsty?" he asked the girls and Chip.

Sadie smiled and nodded.

"Yes. It is a bit warm in here," said Padma. That was an understatement. With so many bodies filling the apple barn, even with the high ceiling the heat was stifling. Harry shoved his way through to the bar.

"What'll it be?"

"I'll have a large pumpkin juice," Padma told the bartender.

"The same," Harry added.

"Cold cobweb goop," said Sadie. "And an apple juice for Chip, that's what he likes. Here, I'll get them."

"Nonsense," said Harry firmly. He laid a Galleon on the bar and took his change. "Cheers!"

They drank deeply from their glasses and Sadie fitted the straw from the apple juice into Chip's tiny mouth. They tried to get back towards where they'd been standing before. It was clearly going to be impossible; far too many people moving around swept the pair towards the large double doors that had been opened to get some cooler air circulating.

"Well this is nice," Harry commented as they ended up outside.

"A pleasant change," Padma agreed. "At least you can think out here."

"How has your summer been?" asked Sadie, smiling at Padma with the lips of her mask.

"Quiet. Mum and Dad like it quiet, so if we want to cause trouble we need to get out of the house. Can't do that with Sirius Black on the loose."

"I'm not letting Harry out of my sight until Black is recaptured," said Sadie, her voice trembling a little.

"I can't imagine you causing trouble, Padma," Harry chuckled.

"Parvati causes more than I do, but I did make mud pies in Mum's kitchen once. Parvati was proud to snitch on me – she wanted to point out that something wasn't her fault for a change."

"Hey!" came Millie's voice behind them, "Where have you lot been? You're missing the show!"

Harry looked at Padma and inclined his head towards the barn. She nodded at him, and they followed Millie back inside. Getting through the crowd was rough, and Harry had several bumps and bruises by the time they found Theo and Parvati.

Parvati, true to her word, was up against a very large speaker near the front of the stage. She had a big smile on her face as she bounced up and down to the music. Theo was thrashing around in a frenzy. It was good that he'd worn the Quidditch gear, because he was colliding with everything! Millie jumped into the air and began dancing when her feet touched the floor.

Harry had no idea how to dance to this music.

Sadie wasn't dancing, she was holding Chip aloft and twirling round, for some readon singing one of her odd lullabies. "Go to sleep my little baby, dream of things dark and crazy…"

Padma was actually dancing. Harry studied her motions for a while then copied her. He rocked to be beat. He was super-coordinated. A true Seeker must be. Just like a true dancer. By Merlin, he was having fun!

Somehow Harry made it through three more songs. Sweat ran down his face, pasting his hair to his head. Absently, thinking only about how hot he was, he ran one hand back through his hair. So wet was it, though, that it stayed smoothed back.

The lead singer walked back to the edge of the stage, and he stared long and amazed at the lightning bolt scar, plain as day on Harry's forehead, exposed for all the world to see.

Harry was considerably startled when the singer jumped down off the stage and came right for him. "Harry Potter's here tonight! Our very own beacon of hope who broke You Know Who. Do you like our music, my dear boy?"

With the microphone stuck in his face, Harry had only one answer. "I love it!"

"You heard it!" the singer shouted as he turned away and jumped back on stage. "This is for our biggest fan, Harry Potter! It's called 'A Beacon of Hope'!"

Harry found himself sweating again when the song was over. The others surrounded him. "Congratulations Harry! A song dedicated to you!" said Sadie grinning.

Theo and Parvati had looks of disgust and amazement. Parvati put her hands on her hips.

"You smug git," she said crossly. "So unfair."

Theo agreed. "I wish I was famous."

Harry chose to be annoyed at Parvati. "Then you don't get to come when I try to go talk with the band later."

"Harry," Parvati said, suddenly changing posture. "What I meant to say was, you are totally amazing. Please say you'll let me come with you?"

"What's in it for me?" he asked.

Her face twisted. "Umm, I don't know. What do you want?"

Harry considered that. "I don't know."

"So neither of us knows."

"Seems like."

"How about this?" Theo interjected. "Parvati, you will agree to owe Harry a favour in the future."

"A favour to a Slytherin? Oh, I'll never hear the end of it from Weasley."

"That's the deal," Harry told her. "A favour now for a favour later."

"Deal," Parvati sighed, "but _only _if we actually get to meet the band!"

"Smart, sis," Padma said in an undertone.

The band at that moment took a break. A large booth had been blocked off, and now the five musicians sat down there. Harry didn't waste any time. He moved towards the booth with Theo, Millie, Parvati, and Padma close behind. When they got to the booth, he stopped abruptly. Everyone behind him stopped short as well, thudding into each other clumsily.

"Hello," Harry said to the singer.

"Lads, it's Potter, come to our table. Make room, squeeze in, all."

"You know me, but I'm afraid I don't know you," Harry stated. "This is my first time hearing your music, and it's great!"

"How you like that, Eddie? We've got our first celebrity fan. We should get him to make a statement. Maybe'll drive up our contract a bit." The drummer winked.

Eddie groaned at him.

"We all love you music!" said Harry.

His friends agreed enthusiastically, even Sadie, although Harry knew she really preferred strange and spooky stuff.

"I think we would all like signed photos," said Harry.

The finale came four songs later, and Harry cheered in a hoarse voice as flames engulfed the entire stage and everything on it! With a stunning crack of sound, the fire vanished, leaving the bare wood of the stage. Harry and his friends hurried back to the private booth to retrieve their signed pictures. That detour left them very far back in the line to access the fireplace.

"I want to Apparate," Theo rued. "None of this waiting in line."

"You could learn patience, Nott," Padma chided him. "I seem to recall a story about a troll?"

"I recall that too," Harry added. "Your eagerness got us all in a lot of trouble."

"It really did," said Sadie, touching her disfigured face. Sadie's face had been wrecked that fateful night.

"So you wait," Millie reiterated.

"If you could make the Quidditch team, Flint could teach you discipline," said Harry. "He'll be back next term. You ought to try out."

"Slytherin plays a very good game of Quidditch," said Padma. "Gryffindor has a good Keeper and good Chasers, but they're such minor roles."

"Quidditch is not a game, it's a way of life," Parvati sighed dramatically. "Don't you all agree?"

They all agreed enthusiastically except Sadie, who mumbled and looked at her feet.

"I want to play!" shouted Nott. "I don't want to have to try out. Trying out is for Hufflepuffs."

Harry thought that was a weird thing to say.

"And I want to see you play," said Parvati.

"Then what say you to a pick-up match when we get back to school?" said Harry. "First afternoon, your friends in Gryffindor, and mine in Slytherin."

"Weasley is going to drool when we give him the news," Parvati smirked. "I don't know if we'd be able to get a full squad, though. Amy and Chrissy aren't really the flying sort."

"Plus Longbottom," Millie added. "Remember the _first _flying lesson?"

"Well I'm a poor flier too," said Sadie shrugging.

"Poor Longbottom can't fly without disaster," Parvati sighed. "So even counting Lavvie, Weasley, Thomas, and Finnigan, plus me is five. That's not a team."

"Harry, me, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Millie, and Daphne," Theo said. "We've an abundance of Slytherins who can actually fly."

"You could leave out the Beaters," Padma suggested.

"That's a great idea!" said Sadie. "It would improve the game no end."

"No!" Parvati and Theo exclaimed at the same time.

"We could let the Weasley twins play," Harry speculated.

Sadie looked glum and shook her head.

"Aw. That makes Mummy sad," Chip pointed out unnecessarily.

"Don't be a party pooper. Quidditch is a rough game," said Parvati. "Anyway... it sounds like a deal to me," she declared. "If not the twins, I'll find some Gryffindors somewhere to answer the call of house pride."

"Then we will meet on the Quidditch pitch," Theo said grandly. "Until then, farewell."

They had made it through the line now, and the Slytherins parted ways with the Patil twins. The trio headed for Casa de Nott. With the hour being so late, Harry and Millie were going to spend the night. Harry spilled out of the fireplace and collapsed on the floor.

Sadie was cuddling Chip in her arms. "Back again! Just think, Chip my boy, this was your first magical concert and I'll take you to see many more!"

"I love my magic Mummy," squeaked Chip.

"Guest room is this way," said Theo.

"We only get one room?" Harry questioned.

"Do you lot need more than one?"

"Millie needs her own room. I'm going to sleep with Sadie."

After they had showered, Sadie put Chip to bed in a tiny cot she had brought with her, before she and Harry slipped into the big bed. Harry was thrilled at the thought of being in the same bed with her again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Darkness and Dementors**

A day later, Harry awoke in Malfoy Manor. Sadie was lying beside him in bed, her purple hair loose on the pillow around her green face. Her wide blue eyes opened and she smiled up at him. "Morning my love." She sat up and Harry pulled her into a very tight hug so that she squeaked. The hugs were important to Harry. He loved the feel of her closeness and the little squeak she made when she was bear hugged.

Sadie sat on the side of the bed, her little legs dangling. She gave a little groan and touched her boobs.

"Are you OK?" asked Harry.

She smiled at him. "Lady problems."

He put an arm around her shoulder. "As you're not well, shall I just sneak off to hunt Sirius Black on my own?"

She glared up at him. "That's not funny at all," she snapped. "Are you trying to make me ill worrying?"

For Sadie this was unusually grumpy. He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her purple head. "I'll go after Sirius Black and Voldemort, and challenge them to a two on one duel – It's because I want to be a Gryffindor."

"Not laughing," she growled. "I won't let you out of my sight."

Harry stroked her hair. It would be best to placate her. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said.

They kissed. Sadie pushed her tongue a little way into his mouth. Harry felt his heart beat faster.

Draco came in at that moment with a broomstick. "Wake up lazy bones! It's time to fly!"

Sadie smiled at him. "Good morning, Draco."

"Not you," Draco added. "You can't fly. I only want to fly with the very best!" He pointed at Harry.

"My boys haven't had breakfast," said Sadie. She slipped off the bed and scooped Chip out of his cot. "How are you darling? Were your dreams dark?"

"Ugh! I dreamt the dead were all rising," Chip complained. "They didn't have anywhere to go except their old bodies, so they burst out of their graves!"

"Aw, that's wonderful!" Sadie beamed. "I love happy dreams. You always make Mummy smile." She sat on the bed and moved Chip's mask so she could feed him from a purple crystal potion bottle. "Could a house elf please get us some breakfast? Porridge, prunes and tea?"

"Pfft. I want to eat at the table," said Harry. "I want a hefty breakfast, like at Hogwarts."

"My boy has a healthy appetite," said Sadie, trying to make a kissy face at him, but causing her mask to ripple disconcertingly.

"He's not your doll. He doesn't need you coddling him," said Draco with a sneer.

* * *

00O00

At Draco's insistence, Harry went out onto the lawn to fly. Sadie and Chip remained on the ground to watch.

Harry overtook Draco easily. His take-off had carried him up above the top of Malfoy Manor. Harry arched into the sky, exulting in the sheer joy of fast flight. Higher and higher he flew, feeling the air getting colder. He went so far up that frost was forming on his tail twigs and stars were dancing in front of his eyes. Then he tipped forward, pointing straight down!

The land below looked so small. Harry marvelled at the beauty of the country. He could see the entire island of Great Britain and parts of the continent as well. The ground rushed up at him with immediacy, and when he saw Malfoy Manor approaching, made a perfect hovering stop right in front of Draco's startled eyes.

Then he alighted on the lawn where Sadie ran to greet him. They rubbed noses and kissed. "Truly, there is no flier like you, my love," said Sadie. "No one else can compare. Um… but Draco is good as well," she added hastily, glancing at Draco.

An owl flew by at that moment and dropped a scroll into Harry's hand. He reached out and caught it with a Seeker's reflexes. It was from his mother. She had found out about Sirius Black's escape and was panicking. He put his fingers over his lips and showed it to Sadie, who scanned the note, then looked up at him and nodded. It was time for them to leave Malfoy Manor.

* * *

00O00

They went to Hill House first. Jamie McIntyre, Sadie's healer mother, was back from her busy schedule at St Mungo's. She accompanied them by Floo to Hogwarts.

Cora was waiting for them very anxiously in the Great Hall. She was clutching Goldie to her breast. Her blue eyes were very wide and her red hair was disheveled, like she hadn't been sleeping well. "Harry! Toasted Toads, I've been worried."

They sat around a table in one of the side rooms with a tray of food provided by the house elves.

Jamie took Goldie into her arms. "A bonny green lass," she observed.

"Takes after her mother," squeaked Chip.

"Magical genetics is funny, Chip," said Sadie. "For one thing, the red headed gene is probably not recessive like it is for Muggles. Dumbledore had auburn hair even though his mum was black haired. Same with me. I'm naturally strawberry blond, even though dad has black hair."

Harry knew Sadie was right about the hair thing. He had seen a memory of hers that was before she dyed her hair purple. The shape of her nose was broader than her mother's though, so facial features were probably another bewildering subject entirely.

Sadie took Goldie in her arms next. "Aw… Hello again, Goldie." Goldie burped up on Sadie. "Aw, how cute!" said Sadie laughing.

Harry drew a deep breath. "Mum… I know you're going to warn me to beware of Sirius Black. I'll tell you something. I know that Sirius Black was my dad's friend and that he betrayed dad and my birth mum to Voldemort. I was going to go after Black myself… but I guess Sadie talked me out of it."

Sadie smiled with the lips of her mask. "Thank Darkness! I haven't pleaded and cried in vain." Sadie turned her green face to Cora. "I'll take care of Harry. Don't worry."

"That's nice, dear," said Cora.

"But think what Black took from me…" said Harry slowly. "I never wanted any mother besides you, Mum… but Black's evilness and treachery are the reasons I never had a father. A kid needs a father. I know this, now I've visited the Notts and the Malfoys. Their dads are each cool in their own ways."

Jamie shifted uncomfortably and she coughed. "Sadie's father isn't in her life anymore," she muttered.

"It's alright," said Sadie. "I agree with Harry. Dad leaving supposedly to travel America again, then his going back to Hong Kong instead, did upset me a lot. And I'd like Chip to have a father in due course." She smiled at Harry with the lips of her mask.

"You're implying what I think you are, Mummy?" said Chip.

Cora took Harry into her arms. "Black did a terrible, terrible thing. But you must never go into danger. I forbid it." She glared at him. "Understood?"

Harry felt a guilty twinge all of a sudden. While at Hogwarts, he had gone into mortal danger twice to fight Voldemort. He was aware how much it had pained his mother. He hated that it had.

"I love you," he said, not knowing what else he could say. He couldn't risk making a promise he might break.

"I love you too," she said, kissing him.

* * *

00O00

Sadie, Jamie and Chip returned to Hill House, but Harry went there immediately before term started so they could all travel on the Hogwarts Express.

Eight Slytherins could not fit very comfortably into a single compartment, but somehow they did it anyway. There was no room, needless to say, for Crabbe and Goyle. The two boys rode the train in a second compartment where they had all stacked their trunks.

"Get _down_, Argent," Tracy said with exasperation, moving her black and grey cat off the seat for the third time.

"Aww, Argent," said Sadie. Sadie, Chip and Dennis the kitten could all fit in one seat.

"You don't give Argent enough attention," Millie reprimanded Tracy.

Tracy coughed politely. "You have no idea how much love this cat gets. He's spoiled rotten at home. He's just having withdrawal."

Theo's voice echoed out from the overhead compartment. "Onyx does the same thing." He finally extricated his head and arms and brought out his deck of cards. "Onyx, move."

His black cat raised her head and blinked at him. With a yawn and a stretch, she half-rolled, exposing her chin, and looked up at him shamelessly.

"Cats!" Theo exclaimed. He set the cards on the edge of the seat and picked up Onyx, depositing her gently on the floor. Before Theo could even pick up his cards, she had twisted, turned, and jumped back up into the seat!

Harry laughed. "She's a nut!"

"She thinks it's her seat. She thinks everything belongs to her. When I brought my books home after Diagon Alley, she jumped right into the empty bag!"

"They do that," Tracy nodded.

"She didn't play for the longest time, though, just sat there looking at me as if to say, 'Thank you! Thank you for buying me a bag! I'm so happy!'"

"Nuts," Harry reiterated. Susie the snake was crawling around his arm. "_Glad you don't take up much space_," he told her in Parseltongue.

"Show off!" Draco told him. "You have all that matters. Being the best at Quidditch, and the Slytherin mystique of Parseltongue.

The conversation lulled. Harry and Sadie squeezed into a seat together so they could kiss and cuddle.

"Ah, you two are a couple now, I see," said Daphne. "I knew it was only a matter of time."

Tracy was staring at them her blue eyes wide and her mouth opening a little. She stood up. "When were you going to tell me?" Her eyes were strangely bright and she was breathing through her nose.

"They don't need to tell you anything," said Draco with a sneer. "McIntyre doesn't mess about. Didn't waste time growing boobs either. You still look like an ironing board."

Strangely, Harry didn't really care that Draco was being embarrassing. Cuddling Sadie was just so right, he didn't care who knew it. The feel of her cold mask against his hand, the whiff of her hair dye, her boobs pressing into him and the taste of her tongue all sent thrills through him.

"Oh would you shut _up_, Malfoy?" Tracy said with audible exasperation.

"Oh Darkness!" Sadie groaned. "Listen, Tracy, we're not defined by our boobs. It absolutely does not matter when you develop them."

Harry actually assumed Tracy must be jealous of Sadie because she fancied him herself. "So sorry, Tracy… I love Sadie."

"You've got nothing to be sorry for," said Tracy, sticking out her bottom lip.

"Tracy, listen… we have to talk about this…" said Sadie. "We will make it right."

Harry couldn't guess what she meant.

At that moment there came a distraction in the form of Leo and Lucas, the auburn haired slater twins. Leo was so pretty. Freckled and green eyed.

"Oh! Hello, Harry. How was your summer?" Leo asked sweetly.

"Very exciting. I went to go see Wand Blaster in this old apple barn."

"Wand Blaster! Wow." Leo's green eyes narrowed as she gazed at him and Sadie. She could look at Harry directly now, last term she had been to shy to even talk to him.

Sadie stood up and hugged Leo quickly, then flung her arms around Lucas. "How are you both? How has your summer been? How are you Lucas?"

Was there a slight tension in Sadie's tone?

"Fine, fine," said Lucas.

"Great!" Sadie grinned. "And I'm so glad you settled in well. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

Sadie had volunteered to mentor Lucas last year.

The door was flung open again. Ginny Weasley was framed in the doorway. She was prettier than Harry remembered, her face more heavily freckled. Had she been to a hot country over the summer? Weren't the Weasleys supposed to be poor?

"Oy! Stop pursuing the Boy Who Lived, you vixen," Ginny snapped at Leo.

Draco sneered. "It's 'the girl' Weasley."

Ginny scowled at that dumb nickname Draco had given her. "Yeah, that's still lame, Malfoy."

"So is you claiming that Leo is after Harry… Sadie's already snapped him up. She's so much better at that sort of thing than you, isn't she?"

Sadie groaned and shook her head. "Please, Draco. Try to be a bit nicer."

"This is the first day of term, Draco," squeaked Chip. "Please don't spoil the party."

Ginny pointed at Sadie. "That disfigured freak got to the Boy Who Lived? What am I even supposed to say? Well McIntyre, expect trouble."

Ginny stormed off. Wow, this was uncomfortable. The atmosphere in the carriage had become tense. Harry wished to duck out and take Sadie somewhere private. "I've got to get a book from my trunk." He stood up and took her by the hand.

"We haven't even got to school yet," Draco protested.

"It's not a studying book. I found an essay that I wanted to share with everyone. It's interesting, I promise."

Draco got up too. "Crabbe and Goyle better come in case Ronald Weasley comes to start trouble."

The five of them went to the other compartment, where something was awry. Their trunks had been moved aside, apparently by the fellow who was slumped in the corner seat. His brown hair was streaked with grey. He wore an extremely shabby wizard's robe that had been darned in several places.

"Must be the new Defence teacher," Crabbe judged.

"You're smart," Harry teased him. "Maybe Granger was right about you being a secret mastermind." Hermione had pretended to think that Crabbe was a mastermind the previous term.

"Professor R.J. Lupin," Draco read from the tarnished brass of the wizard's suitcase. "More like the new Professor for Shabby Dressing. He looks ill. I hope he's not sick with something."

"Aw, poor thing," said Sadie. "If he's sick, I wanna help."

"I bet he doesn't want you to help," sneered Draco.

"He's got to be a better teacher than Lockhart," Harry tried to be positive.

"That would not be much of a status," said Draco.

At that moment, the train began to slow down. They looked around in confusion.

"We can't be there yet," Draco said.

"So why are we stopping?" Crabbe asked.

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows. Other noise soon joined in as students began to poke their heads out of their compartments, curious to know what was going on. Speculation flew as heavy as the rain pounding the train.

Without warning, all the lamps went out! The train was plunged into total darkness. Several girls screamed, and Harry lost his balance, grabbing onto Crabbe's shoulder for support.

"Ouch, that's my foot!" Draco exclaimed.

"Sorry," Goyle rumbled.

Harry gripped Sadie's hand tight and they all found there way back to their compartment.

"Hello?" Harry asked.

"Is everyone all right?" called Sadie.

"We're fine," Daphne said from the darkness.

There was a squeaking noise, and Millie spoke up from the window. "There's something moving outside. I think it might be some people boarding the train."

"The Hogwarts Express is a one-stop train," Theo said.

From the compartment where the Slytherins had stored their trunks, a light suddenly appeared. The new professor stood in the corridor holding a handful of crackling flames. His face was still grey and tired in the light, but his eyes were alert and wary.

"Everyone back in your compartments," he said in a hoarse voice. "Quickly!"

The sudden slamming of doors was cacophonous.

Harry felt cold. A horrid chill seemed to have entered the train, like a frost spirit. His breath caught in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, inside his very heart. He turned to look behind him and wished fervently that he had not.

A cloaked figure was coming towards them, not walking but gliding. It was tall, nearly the height of the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath the hood. A hand protruded from the cloak, a glistening, greyish, slimy-looking, scabby, decaying hand. Harry could hear its horrible breathing, slow and rattling, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder! From far away, he heard screaming - terrible, terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help whoever it was; he tried to move his arms but couldn't! A thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him…

"Harry! Harry! Are you all right?"

Someone was slapping his face.

"Gentle Draco, please! Don't hit him." Sadie's voice. She held something up to his face that had a weird, sweet musty smell.

Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking. The Hogwarts Express was moving again, and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have fallen to the floor in the corridor. Draco and Sadie were kneeling beside him, and all the rest of his friends were hovering close by. Sadie had held a little bottle up to his nose, but now she put it back in her satchel. Professor Lupin was watching closely. Harry ill.

"Are you alright?" Sadie's voice was trembling.

"Good. Up into the compartment," said Draco.

With some help from his friends, Harry made it to a seat. His legs were shaking something awful.

"What happened? Where did that thing go? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed, Harry," Sadie said, anxiety in her wide blue eyes. "That was a Dementor. They have the power to conjure up your worst memories."

A loud snap made them all jump! Professor Lupin was standing in the doorway breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

"Here. Eat it," he instructed Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "It'll help." He passed out chocolate to the rest of the Slytherins.

Sadie smiled at him. "Thank you." She broke a piece off her chocolate to give to Chip.

Harry took his chocolate, but hesitated at putting it in his mouth.

Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat it," he told them again. "It will help. I need to go and speak with the driver. Please excuse me."

And he was gone.

Sadie put her arms around him. "Everything's alright. We're with you."

"What happened?" Time had passed strangely and Harry wanted to know why.

"Well, the Dementor came down the corridor," Draco started off, "then you just _fell, _and then you went rigid and started twitching."

"Professor Lupin drew his wand, then, and he stepped over you and walked right towards it!" There was no doubt what 'it' was. "He said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' The Dementor didn't move. That's when he said this spell I couldn't hear, and a silvery glow moved very slowly towards it. It turned around and glided away."

"I wonder what spell he used," murmured Sadie. Her warm breath tickled Harry's ear. "It wasn't anything I've read about."

"It was horrible," Pansy told him. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt so bad," said Daphne. "Like I'd never laugh again."

"All I could think about was all my bad marks," Goyle spoke up. "I heard my dad shouting over and over again that I'm never going to amount to anything cos I've got a head full of mutton."

"I remembered my mum succeeding at getting me in a dress. I remembered every single time it happened," Millie shared. "Why did she have to torture me like that?"

"But nobody - fell down?" Harry asked awkwardly.

"No," Tracy said. "Theo and Pansy were shaking pretty hard, though."

Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu. Hints of shame were also creeping in. Why had he gone to pieces like that, when no one else had?

Professor Lupin had come back. He leaned into the very crowded compartment and smiled at them. "That chocolate isn't poisoned, you know."

Harry took a bite, and to his surprise felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of his fingers and toes!

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," the professor informed them. "Are you alright, Harry?"

"Not really," he replied.

They didn't talk much for the rest of the journey.

At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station. There was a great struggle to get out into the open air. Owls hooted, cats meowed. An icy rain was coming down in sheets. The air was frigid.

"Firs' years this way!" came Hagrid's great voice. The lot of terrified-looking new students followed him off the platform for the traditional journey across the lake. Sadie waved at Hagrid, but Harry wasn't in the mood.

Harry ignored the musty smell of the stagecoach that brought the returning students up to the castle. He leaned back in his seat and looked out the window. As the coach approached the great wrought iron gates, he felt sick again. Standing in the rain in front of the stone columns with winged boars on top were two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard.

"It's alright, I'm here." Sadie had her arms tight around him.

A wave of coldness threatened to engulf him, as they passed by the Dementors. The carriage came to a halt at last, and they piled out.

"You _fainted _, Potter?" Ron Weasley elbowed past Pansy to block Harry's way up to stone steps to the castle. "I saw the whole thing," he proclaimed, and several heads turned to look. "Potter got one look at the dementor and fell down crying like a little girl with a skinned knee! Like when I push Ginny around."

"Don't bother us, Weasley," Sadie growled. She and Draco both raised their wands.

Wisely, perhaps, Weasley made no response, but backed away slowly. Draco kept his wand pointed until they were well past the Gryffindor, even taking the steps backward, to guard their rear position.

"Merlin, he's annoying!" Draco exclaimed as they went through giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall lit with flaming torches, past the magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors and headed for the Great Hall where the Welcoming Feast awaited them.

"Potter, I want to see you," called a voice just as Harry caught sight of the enchanted ceiling. Harry swore under his breath; the voice belonged to the Deputy Headmistress.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked, after fighting his way over to her.

"Come with me."

Harry had no choice but to follow as she stepped out of the hall and up the stairs to the offices on the second floor. He kept hold of Sadie's hand and they went up together. McGonagall's office was a small room with a fire crackling merrily in the grate. Professor McGonagall motioned them to sit down. She sat behind her desk and folded her hands in front of her. They squeezed together on the larger chair.

"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter."

_Oh for the love of magic! _

There was a knock on the door, and Madam Pomfrey, the Matron, came bustling in. Harry felt blood rushing to his face. This was humiliating.

"Oh, it's you again, is it? Doing something dangerous?"

"No!" said Sadie indignantly. "It was a Dementor."

McGonagall nodded solemnly. Matron clucked disapprovingly.

"Setting Dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair to feel his forehead.

"Yeah, it's just awful!" said Sadie. "What is the Ministry thinking?"

"The magical world is starting to seem a dark and forbidding place," said Chip.

"Potter won't be the last to collapse, mark my words," said Matron. "Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate-"

"I'm not delicate!" Harry protested sharply.

"Of course you're not," Madam said absently, now taking his pulse.

"What does he need?" old McGonagall asked in crisp tones.

"He should have some chocolate, and then yes, hot food."

"I've had chocolate," Harry spoke quickly. "Professor Lupin gave it to us."

"Ah!" Madam Pomfrey said in a pleased voice. "So we've finally got a Defence teacher who knows his remedies, have we?"

"Yes," said Sadie grinning. "I've got a good feeling about this one."


	5. Chapter 5

**Three is a Magic Number**

Harry and Sadie hurried down to the Great Hall after McGonagall's office and heard the sound of applause. They dashed to where Draco and the others were sitting just in time to hear Professor Flitwick call out, "Bagshot, Amelia!"

"Gryffindor!" the Hat shouted out, and the table on the far end of the hall burst into applause as the first student was Sorted.

"Aw, we've missed the Sorting Hat's Song," said Harry. "What rotten luck."

"Yeah, we could have sung along to it, like a choir," said Chip. Sadie was carrying him in a baby sling.

"Not to worry!" said Sadie. "We'll see the Sorting."

"Hurry up, slow pokes," Daphne quipped as they slid into their seats.

"Boot, Regina!"

"She'll be a Ravenclaw, just like him," said Tracy.

Terry Boot obviously agreed with her, because he was already making space at the Ravenclaw table for his cousin to join them.

Daphne giggled. "Seriously, you two? What did McGonagall want?"

"It was because I collapsed on the train," said Harry. "Would you believe she called Madam Pomfrey up to check me out?"

"They were just concerned," soothed Sadie.

"You collapsed on the train?" Ginny Weasley had turned up and was sitting at the Slytherin table. Harry groaned inwardly.

"Slytherin!"

It was the only time Harry had ever seen Terry speechless. The rest of the Ravenclaw table was equally stunned. Theo, however, guffawed loudly and started clapping his hands and cheering. He stood up and welcomed Regina Boot to the table.

"Lucky thing," said Ginny. "Why did I get a rubbish house like Gryffindor?"

"Brocklehurst, Camille!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Is that Mandy's sister?" Millie asked.

"Cousin," Tracy answered tersely. Tracy seemed subdued for some reason. Sadie touched her gently on the arm.

"Christensen, Victoria!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Derrick, Amy!"

"That's my little sister," Matthew Derrick could be heard from where he was sitting with his fellow sixth years. "I'll flatten anyone who crosses her."

"Slytherin!"

Flitwick continued to read names.

When "Greengrass, Astoria" was announced, Harry threw Daphne an inquisitive glance.

"My little sister," she confirmed with a nod.

"Pretty girl, that Astoria, isn't she, Harry?" Ginny was glaring at Harry as she asked that.

"Yes," said Harry in a cool voice. "I bet she's polite too."

Ginny gritted her teeth. "Percy ordered me to apologise … I mean… I'm sorry I was rude on the train. Sorry McIntyre. I don't know what came over me."

"It's quite alright," said Sadie.

"I don't think it is," grumbled Tracy as she glared at Ginny, her blue eyes narrowing. "You're an obnoxious, self-obsessed little bint, Ginny Weasley."

"Please don't fight on my account," said Sadie. "We can put it behind us."

"Higgs, Christine!"

"Slytherin!"

"Look out, Potter!" Derrick half-bellowed. "Higgs got his sister to take back his position!"

Terence, who had been Seeker before Harry, made a horrific face and mouthed something Harry couldn't hear. It was most likely the promise of a hexing, given how sore Higgs still was about not being on the team anymore.

Draco, Crabbe and Pansy all sniggered and pointed at him.

Sadie grimaced and shook her head. "Quidditch … it doesn't make every single person feel good, does it?"

Ginny coughed. "I happen to be rather good at Quidditch, Harry. Did you know I sneak into my brother's broom shed and nick their brooms so I practice in secret? Would you ever have guessed that? Has it received any foreshadowing whatsoever?"

"Anyone _not _have siblings coming in this year?" Daphne asked, looking around the table.

"I don't," Draco grinned.

"Sommernacht, Korina!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Heather Sommernacht's little sister," said Daphne. "So Heather won't have a little sister entering our house this year."

Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet. Candlelight shimmered on his beard.

"Eugh! Is his beard shimmering?" said Ginny gleefully. "That means it must be greasy or sticky. Light only shimmers on a wet surface. Beards should never shimmer."

Dumbledore gestured to the entire hall: "Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast."

He cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all no doubt be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban. They are here until further notice."

Sadie groaned and covered her face with her little hands.

"I strongly disapprove as well, Mummy," squeaked Chip.

By Dumbledore's frown and the glint in his eyes as he made the announcement, it was clear that he was a third who did not approve, third only to Sadie and Chip on the disapproval scale. "They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are here, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even invisibility cloaks."

Harry and Sadie looked at each other. Sadie's blue eyes widened and she stared at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore paused. Nobody made a sound. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors."

Sitting with the seventh-year Slytherins, Percy Weasley sat wearing green and silver, wearing a gold badge on the front of his robes reading "Head Boy". His face was also serious, and he leaned in to hear a whisper from Jamie Davis.

"On a happier note," Dumbledore continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered applause, but largely from the third year Slytherins, who had watched him repel the Dementor on the train.

Crabbe laughed and pointed at Snape.

Professor Snape was staring along the High Table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin House, wanted the Defence post, but Harry was stunned at the magnitude of loathing in the twisted expression on the man's face.

"As to our second appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

"Rubbish!" exclaimed Theo.

"Absurd!" Pansy echoed.

"Just _wait _until Father hears of this!" Draco vowed.

"What other fun surprises does he have in store for us?" Millie asked sarcastically. "That miserable Monster Book nearly took my hand off. I had to tie a rope around it to keep it from eating the rest of my books!"

"Mine ate my Potions assignment," Crabbe contributed. "Miserable, sodding thing!"

"Your book ate your homework? That's strange, even by magical standards," said Daphne.

"I'm sure Hagrid didn't um… mean it," said Sadie. "And you must admit the books are sort of cute."

"Hagrid didn't mean it?" said Draco. "What are you driveling about? Could he have set a biting book by accident?"

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," Dumbledore declared. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and cups before them filled with food and drink. Everyone ravenously turned their attention to the platters of meats and bowls of vegetables. The chatter and the clatter and the clunk filled the air.

"Feeling better?" Tracy asked Harry, a slight edge to her voice, reaching past him for the salt.

"Much better," he said softly. "I'm so sorry I disappointed you. I – I didn't know you were in love with me."

"That's what you think? Oh, my sweet little egomaniac," she said, touching him lightly on the nose with a finger.

Sadie rubbed her green forehead. "Tracy… Let's all go somewhere quiet after the feast where we can talk."

"Not really surprising Harry didn't choose you, dear Tracy," said Ginny with venomous politeness. "A chick with even skin tone can only be so-so pretty." She smugly touched her freckled cheek. It was true that vibrant freckles did enhance Ginny's cuteness. She resembled the Muggle model, Luca Hollestelle.

"You're not even worth snapping at," said Tracy, rolling her eyes at Ginny.

When they had finished the main course, the gang demolished the bowls of puddings and sherbets that arrived after.

"You love your treacle tart, Harry," squeaked Chip.

"Absolutely," said Harry. "Just point me to a river of treacle, someone."

Sadie removed Chip's smiley mask to spoon treacle into his slit of a mouth.

At that moment, Jamie Davis approached their group and leaned in. "Hey all, the password to the common room is _'We miss Kettleburn' _."

"Could that be a statement of some kind?" said Theo smirking. "I wasn't planning on taking the class. I'm sticking to Double A's."

"Hagrid does deserve a chance," said Sadie tentatively.

"That's weird, even for you," said Draco.

"You know that Terry is doing Double A's plus Magical Creatures," Tracy shared. "Mandy told me they both signed up for three new subjects. She's also going to be taking Divination."

"Three classes? Such a typical Ravenclaw."

"Not just Ravenclaws. Hermione Granger is taking three as well. She actually signed up for everything, but of course she couldn't do that. If time travel were possible, it would break the universe. Make anything possible. Just imagine a time machine being dished out just so Hermione can take extra classes." Tracy rolled her eyes at this preposterous notion.

"Hey, I'm taking three classes," Daphne pointed out. "I'm going to be there with Mandy in Divination."

"Me, too," echoed Crabbe and Goyle.

Theo's face was troubled. "I could accept such over-achievement from Boot, but you three? Intolerable," he declared. "I must find another class to take."

"There's plenty of room in Muggle Studies," Daphne said brightly.

"I'd rather fail every subject," Theo retorted.

"Hey, don't be like that," said Sadie. "I won't be taking Muggle studies, but my sweet little Chip tells me stuff about Muggles, so I am sort of doing Muggle studies all the time."

"I have a new Mummy, but I do have to teach her stuff!" said Chip in his squeaky little voice. "I taught her that Hogwarts is like an author pinched the half-baked premise of the Worst Witch series and then actually made something sensational out of it."

Theo stared at Sadie and Chip with wide eyes for a moment, not knowing what to say.

Draco laughed. "You sound as sane as ever! You really expect us to believe your doll is a Muggle? Are you afraid you'll lose your title of weirdest girl in the school?"

"Don't make me angry, Malfoy," Tracy snapped at him, leaning across Theo who looked weirded out.

"Yeah, Sadie is weird in the best way," said Harry. "That's why I love her."

"Anyway…" Theo said, "perhaps it would be interesting to learn about some magical creatures."

"Wonderful," Millie contributed. "You can tell us all the mistakes that Hagrid makes during his lectures."

"I need to go see Professor Snape about this. Excuse me, please."

Theo left the table and approached the faculty. Daphne shook her head as he walked away. "That boy is too competitive."

"Nah. He's Slytherin," Draco said by way of an answer. "I would never take the class with that drunken oaf teaching it."

"The gossip is that Ron Weasley signed up, and we're going to have to see him in Divination." Daphne made a face expressing her displeasure at the prospect.

Draco reconsidered his position. "Well, tormenting Ronald is always good. I suppose I would take the class, at that."

"Yes. So would I," said Ginny brightly.

The third years followed the crowd as Slytherin House descended to the dungeon depths of the castle. The greenish light given off by the hanging lamps on the ceiling made the common room seem cozy and inviting. The fire was crackling cheerfully in the carved stone grate.

Harry was holding Sadie's hand. "Let's hurry up and get to bed!" he urged. "To my bed." There was definitely enough room for both him and Sadie in his fourposter.

Tracy folded her arms. "I get it. I don't matter."

"Please Tracy… I really hate that I hurt your feelings." Tears shone in Sadie's blue eyes.

"No, it was my fault," said Harry. "I had no idea you were in love with me."

Tracy started laughing at that. Why?

"You are funny, Harry," she said. "But my heart is still broken."

"We have to talk about this now," said Sadie firmly. "In private."

They went down the steps of the inverted tower that contained the boys dorms, right down to the very bottom where there was the door to the jacuzzi and also the secret room that Sadie had discovered. She pressed a brick with her wand, and the secret door slid open to admit them. When they entered, ghostly light flared from stones set into the ceiling. The light played weirdly on Sadie's green face.

"Everyone… speak from the heart!" urged Chip.

"I will Chip," said Tracy. "And you can tell I'm upset when I'm talking to you… Sadie, you are my first and only love. Am I to understand that we can never be together?"

Harry was gobsmacked. Tracy was in love with Sadie?! Harry had actually failed to see that coming.

The ghostly lamplight shone of Sadie's green forehead and the broad bridge of her nose. Her disfigurement hadn't changed the cute shape of her nose.

She had her arms around Chip and she gazed up at them both with blue eyes bright with tears. "Noo Tracy it doesn't mean that. I have a suggestion…"

She led them to the Jacuzzi room. The jacuzzi was bubbling merrily away. "We may as well get comfortable, she said. She sat Chip down on the marble floor and pulled out a load of blankets from her satchel (it was bigger on the inside than on the outside) and wrapped him in an improvised sleeping bag. "Time to sleep, sweet little spook. May your dreams be dark." She touched his mask with her wand and Chip sighed and fell into an enchanted sleep.

Sadie cast off her robes, revealing her pale skinny form and large breasts that looked too heavy for her. Did having a chest like that hurt her back? Either way, the sight of them made Harry feel thrills of excitement. Sadie smiled and beckoned to them. Let's all unwind. She slipped into the jacuzzi and Harry and Tracy followed uncertainly. Tracy was tallish for a girl, but her chest was flat as any boy's. She and Harry sat down so that the water came up to their chins. Sadie grinned and put an arm on each of their shoulders. "There's no reason why we can't all be together. She sat down right on Harry's lap. Harry felt his passion ignite!

"Tracy… kiss me!" Tracy locked lips with Sadie kissing her very fiercely. Sadie thrust down on Harry…

* * *

00O00

Tracy was happier the next morning. Harry found it a bit weird to have her their the previous night, but he couldn't quite work out what it was he felt about her… jealous that she competed for Sadie's attention? It looked like Tracy was a better kisser than Harry. Although Harry had played a big part as far as Sadie was concerned…

As they walked up to breakfast, Harry held Sadie's right hand. The small girl held Tracy's hand in her left. Chip was in a sling tied around her. Quite the procession.

Sam Pucey, seventh-year Prefect, walked through the double doors and made straight for Harry. "Good, you're here," he said distractedly. He held out a fistful of parchments. "Schedules," he said shortly.

"Thanks, Sam," Harry said around a mouthful of porridge.

Sam hurried off.

"Schedules," Harry said with his mouth full, handing Draco one of the parchments.

"Arithmancy, excellent, Defence, History and Charms. Well, one new subject isn't bad."

"Consider it two," Harry quipped. "We might actually get a real Defence class today."

Harry's witticism set off a cascade of giggles amongst the girls. Their last two instructors in the subject of Defence Against the Dark Arts had been rubbish. Quirrell's stuttering had been an act of course, and it made his lectures useless. Quirrell had survived the first year – Sadie had exorcised Voldemort with her dark magic. Quirrell now taught History of Magic, which was an improvement all round.

"Arithmancy first," Theo said. "Outstanding. I've been looking forward to it all summer."

"You're sick," Goyle grunted. "Holiday is supposed to get you _away _from studying."

"Why are you even awake? You've got a break first period," Harry told him, enviously handing over the boy's schedule.

"I do?" Goyle's dopey face had a surprised expression. "Brill! I get to sleep in on Thursdays! _And _Fridays!"

"I absolutely hate you," Theo avowed. "I have to get up early every morning!"

"So do I, Theo," Millie patronized him.

"Well then you should hate him too."

"I hate the person in charge of scheduling," she grumbled. "Stupid me took stupid Arithmancy instead of Ancient Runes. I could have been sleeping in too."

"There's really no need to hate anyone over this," said Sadie in her soothing voice.

"I should hope not," squeaked Chip.

"Well I hate all involved all round," Crabbe said.

Harry, who along with most of the rest got to sleep in on Tuesday and Wednesday, felt a pang of sympathy. "If Theo can get into a new class, you two should be able to."

"We could?" Crabbe's face brightened. "Switch into Ancient Runes? And sleep in?"

"I'm almost tempted," Millie said, thinking it over.

"It would be great to have the whole gang in there," Daphne commented. "Plus, I hear that there's only three Gryffindors brave enough to sign up."

"Weasley?" Harry asked with a sinking feeling.

"No, he nancied out with Magical Creatures and Divination," Pansy told them. "Mandy told me that Padma told her that-"

"We get the idea!" Theo snapped.

"I'm only _saying_, Theodore-"

"Shut _up,_ you babbling she-demon!"

"She-demon? Better than a nasty little weed like you!"

"Guys, guys!" said Sadie. "Steady on."

"Don't boss them around," said Draco smirking.

Theo and Pansy were too into their bickering to be distracted.

"I'm a Paralysing Cuscuta," Theo retorted with a sneer. "Soon I'm going to wrap around your throat."

Pansy got a puzzled look on her face. "You're a paralysed _what_?"

"Cuscuta. Strangleweed. Witch's hair," Theo recited at her.

"What are you on about?"

"Don't you pay attention in Herbology?"

"Obviously not at much as you."

"Obviously."

There was a slight pause.

Theo spoke again, "So there."

"What do you mean?" she snapped.

"I just made you be quiet. Now be quiet."

"You don't make me do anything, Nott!"

As the pair descended further into their bickering, Harry turned back to Millie and Crabbe. "It would be great to have everyone in Ancient Runes."

"It really would," said Sadie grinning.

"Let's go talk to Professor Snape," Millie said to Crabbe, and the pair hurried up to the High Table.

"Who wants to volunteer to tell Theo that he's the only one who has to get up early every morning?" Daphne asked. "Sadie, are you mad enough for that?"

"Tell him yourself," Harry admonished Daphne.

They picked up their bags and headed for the first floor classrooms. Arithmancy was taught by Professor Vector, and she waved them in eagerly as they opened her door.

"Come in, come in! Hurry, hurry! Time is wasting!" Professor Vector had a pleasant, no-nonsense voice. "Don't tell me you're early. Third year Slytherins, but where are the rest of you, then?"

"Bulstrode and Crabbe are switching out," Draco informed her.

"Switching _out_, did you say?" Professor Vector suddenly sounded extremely cross.

"Yes, ma'am," Draco nodded. "I tried to talk them out of it. I told them Arithmancy was a fascinating subject. Last year, Percy Weasley did this thing where he removed spilled ink from Harry's Charms essay. I knew right away that I had to take your class."

Professor Vector gave him a serious look. "I hope you're sincere, Malfoy, because I will test you in this subject. Arithmancy is a challenging branch of magic, and there is no room for fools in my class. All of you will be studying some of the most difficult concepts known to wizard and Muggle alike."

"Muggles?" questioned an incredulous Theo. "What have Muggles got to teach us about magic?"

"In the wider spirit of your question, I tell you that Muggles' brains work differently than our own, and sometimes they come to the most startling insights. There do exist many wise and learned Muggles. As to the more immediate point, Mister Nott, there is much that wizards _have _learned about magic by understanding Muggle mathematics."

"Oh, this is Maths!" squeaked Chip. "Do we start with the Times Tables?"

Terry, Padma, and Mandy strolled through the door. Immediately following them were a boy and girl Harry didn't know and the Chinese girl, Su Li. Terry, Padma, and Mandy joined the Slytherins, while the other three sat apart. Hermione Granger was last to enter.

"Good morning, Slytherins," Terry said, plunking his bag down at a seat next to Tracy. "Lovely way to start the day, with a new lesson."

"I couldn't agree more," Theo echoed, sharpening his quill. "Ready for me to trounce you here like in every other subject?"

"As I recall, Nott," Terry said coldly, "you couldn't trounce trout at Transfiguration compared to me."

"Nice alliteration," Tracy complimented.

"Slytherin ego brings out my poetic side," he admitted. "Thankfully most of you have it under control."

"It's not ego, Boot, just acknowledgement of talent," Theo retorted.

"Delusions of grandeur, I call it."

"No need to argue, boys," said Hermione. "You both know I'm top of every class."

"Wow, you're so modest, Granger," said Theo. "No wonder you have so many friends in your house."

"Theo!" said Sadie. "Be nice. It's our first day back!"

"Who are they?" Harry asked of Padma, inclining his head towards the three Ravenclaws sitting by themselves.

"Michael Corner, Su Li, and Lisa Turpin. They're OK. Not as exciting as you Slytherins." Padma was smiling slightly.

The Hufflepuffs were next to arrive. Ernie Macmillan and Susan Bones, both of whom were about as pure-blooded as you could get, were walking in with Hannah Abbott, the very first girl to be sorted two years ago. Harry didn't associate much with the Hufflepuffs. He'd been unfortunate enough to overhear Macmillan gossiping about him last year during the whole Heir of Slytherin fiasco.

Two Gryffindor girls arrived then, but Harry didn't know their names. Professor Vector knew them, and she greeted them by name.

"Moon! Golding!" she barked. "You're late! Spare me your excuses! Just sit so I can begin."

The two girls hurried inside and took the first seats they came to. Professor Vector slammed the door shut and stalked to the front, muttering, "Switched out," under her breath. When she reached the front of the room, she turned to face them, and it seemed like nothing was wrong.

"Welcome to Arithmancy! I am Professor Vector, as you already know, and I thank you for choosing my class. Arithmancy is a challenging branch of magic, as complicated in its own way as Transfiguration. Similarly, there is no room for fools here. Those who are not serious had best switch out."

She levelled a piercing stare at every one of the third years in one sweeping gaze. Harry swallowed and sat a little straighter in his seat. If Professor Vector's intention was to get them to take Arithmancy seriously, she'd achieved it.

"You will be studying some of the most difficult mathematical concepts known to wizard and Muggle alike. There is much that we as wizards and witches have learned about magic and its innumerable applications by understanding Muggle mathematics.

"Muggle engineering and science rely exclusively on mathematics. It is their doorway of understanding into the natural power of the universe, which wizards control by manipulation of energy. Muggles can manipulate energy too, using the tools that their science and engineering have allowed them to develop. At the core of it all is mathematics.

"Mister Malfoy earlier cited a textbook case of how Muggle mathematics has affected the application of magic. Suppose it's very late at night. You've just finished writing three scrolls of parchment for Professor Snape that's due in a few hours. Your cat jumps up onto the desk, spills your inkwell, and gets ink all over your assignment.

Professor Vector grinned at them. "Who knows what Professor Snape is like when he's cross?"

Everyone raised their hands, some a little more hesitantly than others.

"Well we don't want that, do we? But if you do what our current Head Boy did, you apply some mathematics, that spilled ink will collect itself back up and return to the inkwell, leaving the deliberately written ink on the parchment."

Several gasps of amazement were heard. Imagine the relief of not having to face Snape empty-handed with a big assignment due! Or old McGonagall. Harry knew then and there that he would study Arithmancy as hard as he could.

"Arithmancy used to be simply a method of determining meanings out of names and letters converted to numbers, and adding numbers, and so on, and so on. It was an imprecise branch of magic, almost like Divination. At first, we could only find the most magical numbers, but not grasp why they were significant. So we knew that three is a magical number, and five and seven. But that was only the beginning.

"Then we discovered mathematics. Muggles developed it much earlier than wizards, you see, because they needed it. We had magic. The poor, unfortunate Muggles did not, but they evolved in their own way. Sometimes Muggles come to the most startling insights.

"So, as our learning began with mathematics, so too, shall yours. On my desk, please retrieve one scroll of parchment from that stack and begin the examination. We shall determine what you know."


	6. Chapter 6

**Deepest Fears**

"An exam! On the first day!" Draco was in full voice as the group of third year Slytherins walked from Arithmancy to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"She's evil," Pansy moaned of Professor Vector, rooting in her bag for a mirror.

"I hate feeling this dumb," Tracy complained.

"You're not dumb," Sadie soothed, reaching up and touching Tracy's cheek. "You're super smart. We all know that."

"I thought that exam was OK," squeaked Chip. "I did pay attention in Muggle school, but Maths was never my forte."

"Who's my clever little boy?" said Sadie, trying awkwardly to kiss Chip on his smiley mask.

"Uh huh. Sure, Chip," said Tracy. "I'm sure Professor Vector will mark your paper."

"So, Tracy, did you hear about Amanda Bole?" Pansy asked in her gossipy voice, still checking her appearance in the hand mirror.

"No, what'd she do?" Tracy asked breathlessly, eager to hear about someone else's troubles.

"I heard at breakfast that McGonagall caught her out last night with Terence Higgs," Pansy confided to them with delight plain in her voice. That was juicy gossip, too; Higgs was the former team Seeker, and Bole was younger sister of a current team Beater.

"Then we'll see a flattened Higgs by dinner," Tracy predicted.

"Darkness," sighed Sadie. "I really hope it won't come to that."

"Bole has a bad temper," said Tracy. "I thought Higgs was smarter than this."

"He wasn't thinking with his brain," Daphne giggled, sending Tracy and Pansy into a fit of snickering.

Professor Lupin was waiting for them when they arrived at the classroom. He looked just as shabby as he had at the feast, though he did have a more healthy colour about him. He smiled vaguely as they filed in and rummaged in his tatty briefcase for the roll. When he got to Harry's name, a brief flicker of a smile crossed his face. The roll called, he began his lecture.

"Welcome to Defence class. Before I begin, I'd just like to know what you all think of your education in this subject to date. I was led to believe that it's been rather patchy."

Theo raised his hand.

"Theodore?"

"It's been worse than that, sir. Lockhart's classes were a load of rubbish; an entire year wasted. Professor Quirrell didn't stutter anything I couldn't have learned from reading the textbook. I consider us to have had no real Defence lessons ever."

Professor Lupin frowned. "Would the rest of you agree with that sentiment?"

"Yes, sir," they agreed.

"That is most troubling. Well, I'm afraid that scraps the plan I had for today. I can see we're going to need to start from the beginning." The moustached professor seemed genuinely disappointed.

"No, sir!" Theo implored. "We'd be most interested in your lesson."

"Yes!" Draco chimed in. "We're eager to learn."

Professor Lupin smiled. "I see Slytherin ambition hasn't changed since I was in school. Books away, then, and follow me. Today's lesson will be a practical one. You will need only your wands."

Everyone exchanged excited looks. There had never been a practical lesson in this subject unless one counted the time when Lockhart had turned a cage full of Cornish pixies loose on the second year Gryffindors before fleeing the scene. Everyone's wand came out, and they all left their bags behind to follow Professor Lupin along the deserted corridor and around the corner. He led them down a second corridor and stopped right outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please," Professor Lupin said, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom was a long, panelled room, full of old, mismatched chairs and overflowing bookshelves. The place was empty except for Professor Snape, sitting in a low armchair with a cup of tea in front of him. His eyes glittered when he saw Lupin.

Lupin ignored him. He beckoned the class towards the far and of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about," their teacher assured them. "There's a boggart in there."

Harry's friends seemed to think that this _was _something to worry about. The girls all looked anxious, and only Theo had an eager gleam in his eye.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks. I've even met one that had lodged itself into a grandfather clock. This one moved in at some point over the summer, and I asked that it be left to provide my third years with some practice.

"So, my first question to you is this: What is a boggart?"

Theo's hand shot up into the air.

"Theodore?"

"It's a shape-shifter, capable of assuming the form of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most."

"Excellent. So the boggart sitting in the darkness has not yet assumed a form. He does not know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

"This means that we have an enormous advantage over the boggart before we even begin. Who can tell me what it is? Yes, Tracy?"

"There are a lot of us, Professor. How will it know what to change into?"

"Precisely. It's always best to have company when dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Should he become a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake. It tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug, which wasn't remotely frightening.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, what really finishes a boggart is _laughter_. What you must do is force the boggart to assume a shape that you find amusing.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please: _riddikulus _!"

"_ Riddikulus! _" the class said together.

"Good! Very good! That was the easy part, I'm afraid. The word alone is not enough. I'll need a volunteer. Gregory, how about you?"

Nervously, Goyle stepped forward and raised his wand. He jumped slightly as the wardrobe rattled again.

"Now then, Gregory, what would you say is the one thing in the world that frightens you most of all?"

"M' great-grandmother," mumbled Goyle.

"What is it about her that terrifies you so much?"

"Uh… she always wants a kiss," Goyle said, scuffing his feet.

"Can you think of any way to make your grandmother funny?"

Goyle thought hard for a few seconds. Then a smile crossed his face. "Yes," he said firmly.

"Very well, then. When the boggart bursts out of the wardrobe and sees you, it will assume the form of your grandmother. You will then raise your wand, like so, and cry 'Riddikulus', all the while concentrating hard on making her funny. If all goes well, you will be able to fend off the boggart. Are you ready?"

"No."

"If you are successful, the boggart will likely shift his attention to each of us in turn. I would like you all to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most and imagine how you might force it to look comical."

The room went quiet. Harry thought. What scared him the most?

His first thought was Lord Voldemort. The evil wizard had tried several times to kill him, and that was pretty scary. Before he could even start to think of a possible counter-attack, a horrible image came floating to the surface of his mind: a rotting, glistening hand, slithering back beneath a black cloak; a long, rattling breath from an unseen mouth; a cold so penetrating it felt like drowning.

Harry shivered, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed. Many people had their eyes shut tight. Draco was whispering, "There's nothing funny about being poor."

Theo was chuckling to himself as he murmured, "A dragon, definitely."

"Everybody ready?" Professor Lupin asked.

Harry felt a lurch of fear. He wasn't ready. How could you make a Dementor less frightening? He didn't want to ask for more time, since everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves.

"Gregory, we're going to back away and let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward. Everybody back now; give Gregory some room to work."

They retreated back against the walls, leaving Goyle all alone beside the wardrobe. He had pushed up his sleeves and held his wand at the ready.

"On the count of three," Professor Lupin said, pointing his own wand at the wardrobe. "One, two, three, _now_!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open, and out came a shrivelled old witch with a quivering, wart-covered chin. An obnoxious brown hat, more tattered than the Sorting Hat was slipping off her white hair. She held out knobby, trembling hands to Goyle.

"There's my sweet little grandson," she exclaimed in a quavering voice. "Give granny a big kiss, now!"

"Oh, that's revolting," Draco muttered to Harry.

Goyle didn't hesitate. He waved his wand and half-shouted, "_ Riddikulus! _"

With a noise like the crack of a whip, Grandmother Goyle stumbled. There was a spark of light in the air, and suddenly the old witch's hat increased in size to cover her up! Goyle's laughter barked loudly in the otherwise silent room. The boggart paused, confused by the sound.

"Theodore!"

Goyle stepped back, a wide smirk on his face. Theo, resolutely holding his wand before him, moved forward. Goyle's grandmother suddenly ignored her huge hat and looked piercingly at Theo. With another loud crack, the shapeshifter changed form. Now it looked like Theo, and yet not Theo. This Theo was old and gaunt, with an empty, haunted look in his eyes. He was dressed in ragged robes and there was an ugly mark on his arm, clearly visible. A symbol of a skull with a serpent for a tongue. Weird.

"Huh," said Theo. He pointed his wand:

"_Riddikulus!"_

This replica of Theo suddenly became dressed as a ballerina. The class laughed as he pirouetted and fell over.

"Pansy!"

The boggart turned into a morbidly obese woman with a tattered dress. It looked like Pansy, and yet not like her.

"_ Riddikulus! _" Pansy cried, and the Boggart bloated in size even further and fell over, rolling on the floor. Pansy laughed and ran to the back of the room.

"Tracy!"

The boggart turned into Tracy herself, wearing a pointed cap. On the front of the cap was blazoned, "DUNCE", and the boggart-Tracy's face was idiotically smug.

The real Tracy shrieked with horror and turned away. The dunce-Tracy began to cackle mindlessly, and Tracy's shoulders began to shake.

"Tracy… It's just a Boggart…" Sadie hurried up to lead Tracy to the back of the room.

"Millicent!" called Professor Lupin.

The loud crack came again, and suddenly there was another Millie in the room. The imposter was wearing a fancy dress, with her hair done up and make-up on. She looked dazzling, but the real Millie grimaced.

"I hate dresses," she said firmly, "and I can beat this. _Riddikulus! _"

With a loud splash, the boggart-Millie was jumping into a mud puddle! The beautiful dress was ruined, the fancy get-up destroyed. Millie laughed along with everyone else.

"Daphne!"

Daphne moved forward and the Boggart shifted to become a vivid poisonous green snake, with glowing yellow eyes.

Harry and Sadie had told her about the basilisk the previous summer.

"_Riddikulus! _"

The snake's fangs all fell out, leaving it toothless. The class laughed.

"Well done, Daphne!" Professor Lupin cried. "Get away now! Vincent!"

Crabbe's presence caused the Boggart to shift into the form of a green skinned woman with crazy bulging eyes that looked whited out, and a tangle of wild, grey hair. She pointed at Crabbe. "I'm going to ride you raw and steal your energy and your seed!"

"Ugh! Filthy night-hag," said Crabbe.

Harry felt a stab of annoyance. Was this Crabbe's idea of what a hag was?

"_Riddikulus! _" Crabbe shouted and the hag keeled over and her skin and flesh seemed to dissolve into green slime.

"I'm melting!" screeched the Boggart-Hag.

Crabbe pointed and laughed.

"Sadie!"

Sadie stepped forward awkwardly, still carrying Chip in his sling.

There was a crack and the Boggart became a lifeless body on the floor. Harry felt his head reel with a sense of unreality. The Boggart had become his own body, staring up with blank, unseeing eyes. The skin looked so pale and dry. There was no question that the Boggart was trying to look like a corpse.

Sadie gave a soft cry, her blue eyes staring in utter shock through the holes in her mask-like face. Professor Lupin gave a start and let out a vehement ejaculation.

"R- Riddikulus!" said Sadie.

The Boggart-Harry was enshrouded with a strange purple light and then lurched to its feet. Its eyes were still whited out, but it could see again. It looked around the room. "Why were you worried?" said Boggart Harry. "Your dark spell means that I can never die. I laugh at death and I laugh at nature. Come on Sadie, laugh with me."

Sadie gave a sob, then a hysterical laugh.

The Boggart winced and put its hands over its ears.

Lupin recovered his composure. "Draco!"

Sadie tottered towards the back on the room and Harry and Tracy took her into their arms.

Draco's jaw was set as he stepped forward. The Boggart, sensing a new fear, cracked and changed again. From his earlier mutterings, Harry gathered that Draco expected to see some reflection of being poor, but they were all shocked when the Boggart turned into Lucius Malfoy! Draco's father was wearing tatty, grey prison robes. His feet were shackled, and he reached out pathetically to Draco. "Help me!"

Draco couldn't move. His wand was held in a loose grip as his hand dangled uselessly by his side. He stared at the boggart, incredulity plain in his face. He seemed frozen in place, petrified by his fear.

"Draco!" Sadie called out, her voice brittle and trembling. She stepped forward, but Professor Lupin moved quicker, darting between Draco and the Boggart. The Boggart gave a loud crack and a silvery-white orb was hanging in the air in front of their teacher. "_Riddikulus_," he said almost lazily, and the orb became a balloon that was not tied off. With a rude sound, it flew around the room and crashed back into the wardrobe. The door closed, and silence reigned for a few moments.

"Well done, everyone. Five points to everyone who faced the boggart, five points more if you cast the charm correctly. Please write an essay on boggarts to be handed in on Tuesday. Dismissed."

What to make of all that? Weird? Comical and disturbing? Whichever the case, Harry hadn't had a chance to have a go with the boggart, and for that he was privately glad. He wouldn't have to face a Dementor now. He hung back as everyone filed back to the Defence classroom to gather books and bags. Sadie remained with him. Tracy stayed as well. She was stroking Sadie's long purple hair.

"It was just a Boggart Mummy, just a Boggart's cruel trick," squeaked Chip.

"Yes, Harry? Girls?" Professor Lupin said, with a half-glance at Professor Snape as if to check he was still there.

"Professor Lupin… why didn't you let me face the Boggart?"

"Harry…" murmured Sadie, touching him lightly on the arm. Tears were trickling down her mask.

Professor Lupin looked quizzically at Harry. "Are you that eager to face down Lord Voldemort, Harry, that you must seek out his image?"

"No!" Harry was stunned to hear Professor Lupin say Voldemort's name. Professor Dumbledore was the only one, aside from Harry himself, who had ever spoken that name without fear. Tracy groaned just at hearing Lupin say it aloud.

"What is the problem, Lupin?" Professor Snape inquired.

"Harry seems to feel that I have slighted him by not letting him face the boggart."

"Why not?"

"I didn't think it would be in the best interest of the students, Severus, to come face to face with the awfulness of Lord Voldemort."

"Are you telling me there's no way to make the Dark Lord funny?" Snape demanded.

Professor Lupin glared at Snape. "I find that comment to be remarkably insensitive."

"He's right," Harry jutted in. "I'm not afraid of Voldemort."

"Obviously," Snape drawled, shooting a raised eyebrow at Professor Lupin. "Do you want Potter defenceless should he encounter a boggart by chance?"

Professor Lupin's face was troubled. "Very well, Severus, since you seem so certain of Harry's abilities, I will allow it. I don't know what could possibly frighten him if Voldemort doesn't, but I will not allow this to get out of hand."

Snape nodded, evidently satisfied. "Mister Potter, proceed."

"Is this really a good idea?" asked Sadie. She sounded like she had a lump in her throat.

"It's not up to you, McIntyre," said Snape. "Stand back."

Well, now he had his chance, and Harry swallowed his misgivings. Not only his Defence instructor, but now also his Head of House was watching intently, scrutinizing his every move. He raised his wand and took a few steps toward the wardrobe. Professor Lupin quietly turned the knob, and with horrible grace, a Dementor flowed out into the room.

It loomed over Harry menacingly, its face covered by that impenetrable black hood, but one glistening, greyish, slimy-looking, scabby, decaying hand reached towards him. He felt again the horrid chill inside him. His breath caught in his throat. The cold was deeper than his skin, inside his chest, inside his very heart. Harry could hear its horrible breathing, slow and rattling.

"_ Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry! _" A woman's terrified voice was screaming in his head.

"_ Stand aside, you silly girl! Stand aside, now! _"

Harry fell back. Through a haze, he saw Lupin jump directly between Harry and the dementor. Its attention caught, the boggart reverted to the crystal orb and was soon returned to the wardrobe.

"That was unnecessary," said Sadie stamping her foot. Tracy caught the small girl in her arms, while the two professors turned to Harry. Professor Lupin was handing him a large piece of chocolate, which Harry eagerly devoured. Professor Snape was peering into his eyes with a lighted wand.

"He seems no worse for wear," Lupin said, evidently satisfied. "Happy, Snape?"

Snape glared at the other professor. "Yes," he sneered. "Now that Potter knows what his greatest fear is, he can learn to master it."

Lupin sighed, suddenly seeming very weary. The girls came over to help Harry to his feet, and they made their way to the Great Hall for lunch. Harry told his tale to the rest of the gang. Draco had recovered his composure. "Dementors do merit fear," he observed.

"I didn't do any better against the Boggart," said Tracy glumly. "Sadie did defeat it though, according to the rules of the lesson. She can be our rock."

"Right now, I don't want to let any of you go," said Sadie, clutching at Harry and Tracy's arms. Chip was of course already tied to her.

"Hello, what's this?" An owl dropped a scroll onto Harry's plate. It was a note instructing him to report to the Headmaster's office following supper.

"Could it be about the Dementors?" Tracy wondered.

"Anything's possible." Harry was too worn out from facing the awful things to even care anymore. "Come on, History of Magic next."

* * *

00O00

At the appointed hour, Sadie led Harry and Tracy to the gargoyle at the entrance to the Headmaster's tower.

"Toffee crisp," said Harry, and the gargoyle sprang to life and hopped aside as the wall opened to reveal the winding staircase that moved automatically.

"Wow. Dumbledore doesn't have to bother climbing stairs," Tracy observed.

"Sounds sensible," squeaked Chip.

They reached a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin. Harry knocked twice.

"Come in!"

The door swung open on silent hinges, revealing a large, circular room. It was as Harry remembered it from the previous year. The place was picturesque, and full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat.

Sadie grinned at the sight of Fawkes the phoenix. "Hey Fawkes."

"That is a beautiful bird," said Tracy.

"Isn't he just?" said Dumbledore. "Do sit down. Settled back in, I trust? How did you enjoy your first day of Arithmancy?"

"Um…" said Tracy.

"Fine, thank you Sir," said Sadie, smiling with the lips of her mask.

"It wasn't my best subject in Muggle school, Sir," squeaked Chip.

Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "It is indeed a most fascinating subject, mathematics, but certainly not for everyone. Will you stick with it, then?"

"Of course," Harry said immediately. "I think it's a subject worth knowing about."

"Good," the old wizard nodded approvingly. "It is only through our challenges that we grow to realize our potential."

"Absolutely right, Sir," said Sadie. "You see, Tracy?" She patted the other girl's arm. "It's good that the class was challenging. Challenges only help us get better."

"Challenges come in many forms," said Dumbledore. "Not all of them are academic. I trust you understand?"

"You're referring to Sirius Black, Sir?" said Harry. "I know he's after me. I also know that he betrayed my father and birth mother to Voldemort."

Tracy gave a little start at this.

"It is shocking, isn't it?" murmured Chip.

Harry continued. "But Sadie and my real mother have both convinced me. I won't go looking for Black."

Sadie grinned and took hold of Harry's hand. "There's my good, sweet boy."

"You'd mean you would have gone looking for that maniac otherwise?" said Tracy. "You're so lucky to have Sadie. And your real mother."

"Aren't I just?" said Harry, thinking fondly of the strange, green faced characters in his life.

"Professor," Sadie began. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I – I wanted to say … It's a horrible idea to station Dementors around the school! They're so terrible… and so dangerous."

"I fully agree," said Dumbledore. "But I have no power to overrule the Minister for Magic on this one. He has classified Black's escape as a national emergency and on that basis, he issued an emergency contingencies order. In this way he can overrule both the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Chief of the Wizengamot." Dumbledore sighed dramatically.

"I see," said Sadie. "That stinks."

"But hope can be found, even in the darkest places," added Dumbledore cryptically.

* * *

00O00

They left Dumbledore's tower. "Dementors round a school!" Growled Sadie. "As if corralling them with Azkaban convicts wasn't already bad enough…" She clenched her little fists, then she paused and grimaced. "Argh! My boobs…"

"Are you unwell, Mummy?" asked Chip.

"That time of the month again?" asked Harry.

"Yes, my love," said Sadie. "And general stress. That Boggart…!"

"Let's get to bed then," said Tracy, kissing the top of Sadie's purple head. "I want to kiss you all better."

"Just a moment," said Sadie. "Tracy, now that we're a real trio and we've given our love to each other, there's something else we have to talk about." She led them to an attic room that no one visited. It was accessible through a secret passageway that showed up on the Marauder's Map.

"Hogwarts and all its secret passages!" piped Chip. "Such an intricate place, and it makes perfect sense. A magic school would be a lot more likely to have them than a school like Greyfriars or St Jim's."

"Quite right, my little love," said Sadie, making a kissy face. "A dark secret room is the perfect place to discuss secrets."

In the dingy attic room, Sadie sat on an old armchair and sat Chip next to her. She groaned and put her hands to her boobs. "It's coming," she moaned. "That time…"

"We already knew that," said Tracy. "Your period isn't exactly a secret."

Sadie smiled at her. "I didn't mean my period. Harry, do you want to tell Tracy our secret?"

"Uh, which one?" asked Harry uncertainly.

"Why about your mother, silly!" said Chip with a squeaky laugh. "Tracy still doesn't know."

"Oh, uh, right," said Harry. "If she swears never to tell." He remembered how hostile Crabbe was about hags.

Tracy looked curious. "What is this?"

Sadie got to her feet and reached up to touch Tracy's cheek, gazing at her with intense blue eyes. "Please swear to keep the secret. Swear it on our love."

"I swear it on our love," said Tracy, putting her hand on her heart. "There is nothing else so dear to me."

"Harry, if you are ready…" said Sadie. "Tell her."

"Alright," said Harry. "Tracy… When Voldemort killed my dad and my birth mum, Dumbledore was going to dump me on some Muggles who hate magic."

"That twinkling Machiavelli!" said Tracy. "I wonder what his scheme was?"

"But a kind magical lady rescued me and took care of me," said Harry. "The hag, Cora Coldfire."

"A hag raised you?" Tracy raised her eyebrows and her gaze flickered to Sadie who nodded.

"She's the sweetest lady," said Sadie. "We should meet her. And Harry's baby sister."

Tracy's expression was unreadable. She nodded once.

* * *

00O00

Harry knocked on Cora's door. The hag greeted them enthusiastically, her green face wreathed in smiles. She was suckling baby Goldie.

"This is our intimate friend, Tracy," said Sadie.

Intimate indeed. Sadie had introduced Tracy into their lovemaking!

"Helloooo," said Tracy slowly.

"Tracy, this is Cora, Harry's mother, and Goldie, his baby sister."

Harry kissed his mother, then held Goldie. Goldie was able to sit on Harry's knee now, and seemed aware of her surroundings. Sadie took Goldie next – Chip was seated next to Sadie on an armchair.

"Aw, you're so precious," said Sadie, a misty look in her blue eyes. "I wished I could have a baby as well, but I can be Chip's Mummy instead. Chip will always need me."

"Right," said Tracy. "Having a doll is just like having a baby."

"You really think I'm just a doll?" squeaked Chip.

Goldie's little green face crumpled up at that moment, and she began to whimper.

"If you don't stop crying I'll sing," cooed Sadie.

The way Sadie sang, Harry wondered if she was tone deaf.

"Do you know any baby songs, Tracy?" he asked.

Tracy nodded and obligingly sang the beginning of Lamb of the World.

"Tracy, you have a beautiful voice!" gushed Cora.

Tracy mumbled thanks. It seemed she was uncomfortable about something.

* * *

00O00

The Threesome planned to sleep in Harry's bed that night. Tracy was taking ages in the bathroom so Harry and Sadie played and wrestled with each other while they waited. A silvery moon lamp hovered above them, suffusing everything in a ghostly light. "Gotcha, you naughty boy!" said Sadie. She was on top of Harry as he lay back on the bed. She tried to tickle him, but Harry wasn't ticklish. Sadie was very ticklish. That was part of why she was unbearably cute. He tickled her sides and she screamed with laughter. He continued to tickle her and she thrashed around on the bed, flailing her little thin arms and legs. Harry hoped the silencing charms on the fourposter curtains were holding, or everyone in the dorm would wake up.

As expected, she was super-excited when he let her up, her blue eyes were shining and she was panting. "Ooh! Mummy's gonna deal with you now."

He touched her broad nose with one finger. "I'll be good now. I need you to defend me from Black and Voldemort. Not to mention the Dementors… The villains are multiplying."

Sadie climbed on top of him again. She straddled him, her chest rising and falling. "Always." She leaned forward, pressing her nose against his. Her intense blue eyes filled his vision. "Mummy only wants to take good care of you. Why're you such a tease?"

Tracy slipped through the curtains at this point, bringing the flowery smell of her shampoo with her. It wasn't as strong as the smell of Sadie's hair dye, but it was sort of unfamiliar. "Are you two starting without me?" She pouted.

"The more the merrier!" said Sadie and they kissed.

Susie the vivid green snake was crawling up Sadie at this point and poked a head out of the sleeve of her nightie.

"_Greetingss_" she hissed at Tracy. "_Got any beetles_?" Tracy of course only heard hissing and gave a short sharp scream.

"It's alright, she's a friendly snake," said Sadie anxiously, touching Tracy's cheek to reassure her. "She's Harry's."

"You're so full of surprises, Harry," said Tracy.

"Aren't I?" said Harry. "But Sadie takes care of me in case I get into mischief." He stroked Sadie's long purple hair.

"I'll take care of all of you," said Sadie.

By 'all,' she definitely included Chip, who was asleep in his cot, and Susie the snake and Dennis the kitten. Who else?

Susie the snake coiled around Sadie's arm as she reached into her nightie and drew out a necklace with little bottles shaped like apples that contained a slowing purple substance, somewhere between liquid and gas. There were tears shining in Sadie's blue eyes now. It was her time of month after all, Harry supposed. "I've been working on these for months," she said. "It's getting more and more dangerous around here. I need you both to take them."

"Apple shaped potion bottles?" said Tracy, narrowing her eyes.

The snake slithered onto Sadie's shoulder and hissed.

"There are madmen – and Dementors – at large," said Sadie. "If the worst happened… These will keep you safe. Stop you dying."

What did that mean? What were the potions exactly? Why did Sadie mean, they'd stop Harry and Tracy dying?


	7. Chapter 7

**Fall of Fate**

The ghostly light of the moon lamp shone off Sadie's green cheeks and the broad bridge of her nose. She took two tiny apple shaped bottles from her necklace. The potion within them glowed with a purple light. The snake on Sadie's shoulder hissed.

"Please … I'll be worried sick otherwise," said Sadie. Her high voice trembled a little.

Harry took a bottle and removed the little stalk shaped cork. He swallowed the contents and they slid down his throat in one go. The potion had no taste, but it made his throat feel warm for a second.

"I'll think about it," said Tracy, putting the apple bottle in her nightie.

Harry pulled Sadie into a tight bear hug so that she squeaked. Her boobs pressed against his chest and the cold cheek of her mask pressed against his face. "You already know I'm more than a match for murderous madmen and psychic leeches," he told her grandly.

"You're my brave, strong boy," she murmured, clinging to him. "I love you both very much. You know that, Tracy."

Tracy stroked Sadie's hair. "I love you, sweet Sadie."

Harry wondered whether or not he should feel sad that Tracy could not honestly say she loved them both?

He ceased to give that thought when Sadie instructed that they all strip down. Their showing their love included them both focusing on Sadie, Tracy focusing on Sadie's face and Harry on her rear, then they switched round. This made Sadie very happy, as did their telling her they loved her and her getting to say "I love you" back.

* * *

00O00

When Professor Vector handed back their examinations in Arithmancy the next morning, Harry looked at all the red ink with dismay.

"Ugh," he said, showing his parchment to Draco. "I only scored fifteen!"

"That's disgraceful," Draco replied.

Professor Vector was back at the front of the classroom now. "All in all, a dismal performance," she said deploringly. "With!" she added, "a notable exception. Twenty points to Slytherin for McIntyre's impressive knowledge of geometry. Ten points to Ravenclaw, Miss Turpin, for excellent use of shorthand division to save time and work on more questions."

"Wow!" Tracy exclaimed. "Twenty points, Sadie!"

"Hang on…" said Sadie, "Professor, this is Chip's paper. He was the one who scored forty-five points." Sadie held up Chip's paper which had the number forty-five across the top. "You can see I only scored five points." She held up her own paper in her other hand. Her own paper had clearly scored just five points.

"I do remember Primary School geometry," squeaked Chip.

"You clever little boy," cooed Sadie. She cradled him in her arms and tickled his little round belly, making him giggle. "You are top of the class, yes you are!"

The Ravenclaws, the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors (apart from Hermione) pointed at Sadie and smirked.

"Right," said Professor Vector. "You want to give your doll credit for the best paper and take the credit for the paper that came bottom but one?"

Several of the students from other houses laughed out loud.

Theo's paper had a large numeral twenty across the top. Tracy and Daphne scored in the low teens. Draco had barely scraped into double digits, and poor Pansy had a fat goose egg and come bottom of the class.

"What!" Terry Boot exclaimed, reaching for the parchment. "Inconceivable!" He read the score for himself, and began swearing under his breath in short, clipped words.

Terry had scored twenty-three. "Who would have thought McIntyre would be rational enough for Maths?" He wondered aloud.

"Shush!" Professor Vector scolded him. "We've no room for petty jealousy in my class."

The remainder of the lesson was spent going over the first few questions from the exam. Professor Vector laboured to explain the concept of angles to them. Chip understood the concept well enough and earned more points for Slytherin.

Arithmancy wasn't nearly so exciting as Harry had expected. In truth, it was proving to be quite a bore. After seeing the cool things that could be done with Arithmancy, he was very impatient to get to the good stuff. Luckily, Ancient Runes seemed a bit more to his tastes. Professor Babbling's opening lecture on the origin of runes was fascinating.

"Odin, the Norse High God of the Aesir, hung from the world tree, Yggdrasil, impaled on his own spear, for nine days and nights in order to gain the knowledge of runes. When the runes appeared below him, he reached down and took them up, and the runic knowledge gave him power. He later passed on this knowledge to the Vanir goddess Freya. She, in turn, taught him the magic of seidr. Heimdall, the god who guarded the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to mankind.

"Each rune has a story attached to it, a relationship to a Norse God. Since ancient times, runes have been used for writing, divination, and magic. The word 'rune' actually means mystery, secret, or whisper. Each rune has esoteric meanings and properties associated with it, beyond its mundane meaning and phonetic value. Each translates into a word or a phrase signifying concepts important to the early peoples who used them, representing the forces of nature and mind.

"The runes can be used as an oracle, from which one seeks advice. Runic divination is not so-called fortune telling in the sense that one actually sees the future. Instead, runes give one a means of analysing the path that one is on and a likely outcome. The future is not fixed. It changes with everything one does. If one does not like the prediction, one can always change paths.

"The runes can also be used to cast magic or to enhance other magic. We will deal with all of this in due course, I assure you. For today, though, we will start with learning the basics of the Elder Futhark."

Professor Babbling used a wooden pointer to indicate the first of many runes inscribed at the top of the blackboard. "Fehu, meaning domestic cattle or wealth."

"Not impressed with these new classes," Harry told Sadie in the common room that evening. "I thought they'd be new and exciting magic. Are the Professors trying to bore us?"

Sadie smiled at him. "We have to start with the basics, my love. Walk before we can run. Isn't that right, Chip? You can walk so well now."

Chip was sitting on Sadie's knee. "Yes! But I prefer geometry."

"That's my clever boy." Sadie made a kissy face at him.

"I can't stand figures," said Tracy dejected. "They make me feel stupid."

"You are not stupid, you were never stupid, you are so, so smart," said Sadie in her soothing voice, gently touching Tracy's hand.

"If you're having trouble with the long multiplication, I can show you how it's done," squeaked Chip.

"There we go! Little Chip sets us all to rights," said Sadie, placing Chip into a seating position on the table.

Chip picked up a quill in both hands. "Quills are a bit awkward," he observed. "I'd prefer a pencil, any day."

"Yes, a pencil would be better than a quill," cooed Sadie. "You're soo practical."

Theo pointed at Chip. "Look Pansy. Perhaps you should ask the doll for help. He might be able to crank your score up to one point!"

Pansy snarled at him.

Sadie glared at them. "Guys… don't be like that. Let's all try to be helpful."

"Yeah, we all want to improve," said Draco. "Let's not allow Granger or the Ravenclaws to show us up. Sadie's top of Arithmancy, so she ought to give the rest of us pointers."

"Actually, I'm bottom but one," said Sadie, smiling with the lips of her mask. "I only scored five points. Chip's top of the class."

Theo cleared his throat loudly. "Let's talk about something other than school work. It's Quidditch tomorrow morning between third year Slytherins and Gryffindors.

"Yes, let's talk about Quidditch instead!" said Draco.

The gang all agreed with him, except for Sadie, who sighed and covered her eyes with her little hands.

"I can't wait to smash Weasley up!" Draco exclaimed. "You'll obviously be playing Seeker, Harry."

"Obviously," Harry agreed. "I think Crabbe and Goyle would be best suited for Beating."

"Flint _did _try to recruit us," Crabbe chimed in.

Sadie gave a little groan.

"Mummy's not keen on Quidditch," squeaked Chip.

"Never mind," said Draco. "The rest of us are."

"Exactly," Theo nodded. "Draco and I will play Chaser, so that just leaves Millie and Daphne to fight over who gets stuck being Keeper."

"I'm going to Chase," Millie declared, in a tone that brooked no argument. "I'm more than ready to thrash them all."

"I don't mind playing Keeper," Daphne said with a shrug. "A Keeper's work is all moot, so long as Harry catches that Snitch."

"I'll be there to cheer you on, Harry," Tracy smiled at him. "Too bad I can't play."

Sadie looked up. "Quidditch is too dangerous," she began, "not worth the risk of getting hurt…"

"Oh, stop trying to coddle everyone," sneered Draco. "Just because you can't play, doesn't mean the rest of us shouldn't. Tomorrow, we smash Gryffindor."

Nine Slytherin first years cheered!

* * *

00O00

The next morning, Harry awoke in bed with Tracy and Sadie. The girls were stirring. They sat up, Sadie sitting on Tracy's lap. Tracy held the smaller girl tight.

"Quidditch!" chirped Tracy. "Up and at 'em!"

"Harry, I wish you'd reconsider," said Sadie. "I hate it when you get Bludgers whacked at you."

She wriggled out of Tracy's arms and reached up to grip Harry's shoulders and stare into his eyes. Her blue eyes were bright with tears.

Harry cupped her green face in his hands. "Aw, let's see a smile. I such a pro at Quidditch, I always win unscathed."

Sadie awkwardly stuck out the bottom lip of her mask. Harry took her in his arms and hugged her, finding great comfort in the feel of her small, warm body and her boobs pressing into him. He hugged her tighter and she squeaked. So sweet. He didn't want to let her go…

"Stay with me this morning instead," she murmured. "We'll have such fun."

Harry kissed her broad nose. He didn't want to refuse her anything…

But Tracy's hands were on Sadie, and she pulled her away from Harry.

"It's a matter of house pride," said Tracy firmly. "And sticking it to Ron Weasley. Nothing must get in the way of that. That oik is just the same as his sister…" Tracy bared her teeth at the thought of Ginny.

"But…" began Sadie.

"Hugs!" said Tracy, scooping Sadie up in her arms and hugging her with impressive strength. Sadie squeaked. Harry quickly stroked her purple hair and then slipped out of the bed to grab his toothbrush and morning kit. Draco was moving slowly, but he was moving. Theo was rooting in his trunk for a towel. Even the lazy Crabbe and Goyle were beginning to stir.

The Slytherin bathrooms were supposedly the nicest at Hogwarts, aside from those baths reserved for prefects and Quidditch Captains. The floor was tiled with a pattern of silver and green, the house colours. The long row of sinks mounted on the near wall had bright silver handles. The shower stalls that lined the far wall had highly decorated curtains with mythological scenes.

Ever so briefly, Harry dipped his head under the spray. A dab of shampoo in his left hand was quickly scrubbed through the mop of black hair. Then he soaped himself and moved to the sink to brush his teeth.

He was just rinsing his mouth when Theo finished his shower and stepped up to the sink. Before he could say a word, though, the door opened and Draco came shambling in.

"Morning, Draco!" said Harry.

Draco grunted irritably and immediately moved towards the shower. Theo suppressed a quiet snort.

"Ready to humiliate Gryffindor?" Theo inquired.

"Absolutely. They've got nobody who can beat me as Seeker, so we win, hands-down. That's essentially what Quidditch boils down to. I have no idea why Parvati even agreed to this."

"She loves Quidditch," Theo shrugged. "Gryffindors don't care about long odds."

"You seemed to be getting on quite well with her at the show," Harry said slyly, throwing all kinds of suggestion into the sentence.

"We share a common hatred for Parkinson. It's strange to have things in common with a Gryffindor, but Patil's not dumb."

"I'm sure she'd love to hear that you have stuff in common," Harry said.

"She knows how to have a good time. Did you see her moves at the show?"

"I certainly did!" Parvati's dancing had been wild. Several times it had seemed like she was dancing _with _Theo, but it had been difficult to tell.

"I want to see if she's got the same moves in the air. Do you know what sort of broom she flies?"

"I don't," Harry admitted. "She's not on the team."

"She ought to be," said Theo_. _"I'm looking forward to facing her on the pitch." Theo looked dreamy at the thought. Harry smiled and returned to the dorm, passing Crabbe and Goyle on their way to the showers. Back in the dorm, he rummaged in his trunk for his gear. He felt his excitement building as he put on his Quidditch robes; he would be the only one on the pitch who was an actual team member.

Bole, Derrick, Bletchley, and all the rest were great lads, and they tended to be a rowdy bunch, but they weren't Harry's gang. When the older boys had left school, Harry would be left to rebuild the team.

Millie and Daphne were waiting for the boys in the common room. Though Daphne still looked sleepy, Harry was sure she'd be fine after a mug of coffee.

"Hurry up!" Draco called to Tracy and Sadie as they came up from the dorms. They were dressed and Sadie was carrying Chip in a sling tied around her. The team shouldered their brooms as they made the long trek upstairs to the Great Hall where breakfast awaited them.

Weasley and the other Gryffindors arrived shortly after. Thomas, Finnigan, and Brown all looked tired, but Weasley and Parvati were very alert. To round out the team-

"Hey boys, reduced to playing with ickle kiddies?" Pansy sing-songed to the Weasley twins.

The twins flashed very unfriendly scowls towards the Slytherin table. They ate their food in a grim manner.

Daphne giggled and pointed. "Don't they look like they wish they were snacking on our bones?"

Sadie could not turn green – her face was always green, but Harry knew her well enough that he could tell when she was queasy and she was queasy right now. "Listen…" she began, "this match is not a good idea. It's just a grudge match."

"Oh, stop being such a wet blanket," snapped Draco.

Sadie glared at him, breathing through her nose.

"Mummy's only worried about everyone's wellbeing," squeaked Chip.

"Thank you, Chip," said Sadie. "This match should not go ahead, because…"

At that moment, Tracy grabbed Sadie's face in both hands and kissed her passionately, using her tongue.

The door to the Great Hall opened again, this time admitting some Ravenclaws. Padma, Terry, and Mandy Brocklehurst all seemed bright and alert. That was normal, even for this awful hour. Mandy had told them at the old Hogwarts Togetherness Club that many in Ravenclaw didn't like to waste even an hour of the day and rose with the sun.

"What about when the sun doesn't rise until mid-day?" Daphne had asked.

"Then we study in darkness," had been Mandy's laughing reply.

Harry thought it nice of their friends in Ravenclaw to turn out for the show. He waved his greeting, as his mouth was full of eggs.

Just then, a group of third-year Hufflepuffs wandered in. Now the second-year Slytherins were arriving too!

Lucas Slater sat down too and glanced over to Sadie, but Tracy was still kissing Sadie all over her face, like she couldn't get enough.

Leonie Slater was here too. "Good morning, Harry," Leo said sweetly, as she sat down next to him.

She was such a pretty girl, the morning light lit up her freckled face and glinted off her auburn hair.

"Good morning, Leo. I've never seen you up this early."

"I want to watch you win. Uh Oh…" She pointed towards the double doors.

"What?"

"Here comes Ginny!"

More students were coming through the double doors, from all houses and all year groups. Notable among the Gryffindors were Ginny and Hermione who made for the Slytherin table and sat down.

Ginny pointed at Hermione. "Brace-face here wants to watch, but only because she's secretly supporting Slytherin. She was dumb enough to trust me with that secret."

Hermione glared at her. "Do you think it's something to be proud of, that you can't be trusted with my secrets?"

"I'd yell them at my idiot brother, just to annoy him," said Ginny smugly.

Sadie and Tracy and taken a break from kissing. Tracy was gazing coldly at Ginny.

"I take it you can't play Quidditch, Davis?" said Ginny in a loud voice.

"I'm not good enough for our third year team, and I don't really care," said Tracy in a cool voice.

"Are you and McIntyre really an item now?" demanded Ginny.

"Ooh, congratulations!" squeaked Hermione. "I've never been attracted to other girls, but love is all that really matters."

"Thank you, Hermione," said Sadie with a small smile.

"That means McIntyre really isn't good enough for the Boy Who Lives?" said Ginny.

"Not wasting my breath on you," said Tracy, curling her lip at Ginny.

A distraction arrived in the form of the house team, and Flint came swaggering up to Harry with a wide grin on his face.

"Well done, Potter! No better way to kick off the year than with a Quidditch match!"

Harry was feeling slightly alarmed at this point. "Does the whole school know about it?"

"Pretty much. Is it true that the Weasley twins are going to be playing?"

"Yes."

"That rumour is drawing a lot of them," Flint explained. "They're wicked with those bats, you know."

"I know," Harry nodded.

"Well, do your best flying. I don't suppose it much matters about the rest of the positions, so long as you catch that Snitch."

"The rest of the positions do _so _matter!" Theo said heatedly. "We're going to rack up the points against whoever thinks he can play Keeper!"

"That's the spirit!" Flint exclaimed. "I'll be watching!"

"Hear that, Theo? The captain of the team is going to be watching!" Harry was trying to be encouraging to the anxious Theo.

"I need to be impressive out there."

"Harry, you can still just stay with me today and we'll have lots of fun," said Sadie.

"Shut up, McIntyre," said Draco. "Are you trying to sabotage us, or what?"

* * *

00O00

The stands were packed. Most of the school, and even some of the professors, had turned out of the castle.

Harry had been unanimously chosen to act as captain of their squad. He waited in the centre of the Quidditch pitch for the Gryffindors to join them. At last Weasley, Finnigan, Thomas, and the twins came marching up, with Brown and Patil taking long strides to keep up. Weasley stepped forward, staring hard at Harry. Reluctantly, he offered his hand. Harry took it, squeezed it, tried to ignore Weasley attempting to break all the bones in his hand and do the same right back.

"That's enough, boys," Madam Hooch said curtly. She had been waiting for them on the pitch, telling them all in no uncertain terms that she would be officiating their little match.

"Mount your brooms!" She released the Golden Snitch, which buzzed by Harry's head before disappearing. "I'm releasing the Quaffle, now!"

The game was on!

Somehow Weasley managed to get his hands on the Quaffle first. He snatched it away from Millie and tore off up the pitch. Theo outpaced him and intercepted the throw he made at the middle hoop. He flashed past Weasley, who was cursing soundly. Theo manoeuvred neatly between Finnigan and Patil, sending the Quaffle soaring past Brown's outstretched hands through the left hoop.

"Ten to naught, Slytherin!" came the voice of Padma Patil from the announcer's booth. The regular commentator, Lee Jordan of Gryffindor, was sitting next to her and looking mightily put out that he'd been booted off the megaphone. Harry was glad to have someone neutral and level-headed providing the commentary.

Finnigan took the Quaffle from Brown and passed it to Weasley, who passed it back again. The two kept it away from Patil, who looked very irritated that the boys were being so selfish. Draco tucked in behind Weasley and sidled up between the two Gryffindors. With a hard check, he knocked Weasley aside and neatly caught Finnigan's throw. Draco brought the Quaffle back up the pitch to score again.

Harry cheered with the rest of his house as Padma calmly reported the score. "Brown sends the Quaffle out to Patil, Patil dodges a Bludger, dodges Weasley, who somehow thinks he's going to get the Quaffle after not passing to Patil at _all _on that last scoring attempt. Weasley gets hit with a Bludger – hope he's alright. Patil and Finnigan pass it back and forth - oh! Intercepted by Nott! Nott to Malfoy, Malfoy to Bulstrode, back to Malfoy, back to Bulstrode, Slytherin scores! Keeper Brown just couldn't get there in time!"

So far, the third years were doing Slytherin proud.

Crabbe and Goyle had their hands full dealing with the Weasley twins. The boys were outmatched, that was clear. Instead of spreading out to cover the field effectively, the best mates drifted around in a loose formation. Harry had to dodge a Bludger that one of the pair should have been taking care of.

"Oi!" he shouted, flying closer. "Spread out! Goyle, get down past mid-pitch!"

Draco had possession of the Quaffle, and he tried to get around Weasley for an easy shot on the hoop – Lavender Brown was out of position again. Weasley, though, turned sharply and slammed his elbow into Draco's chest, causing him to drop the Quaffle. As it floated gently down, Weasley flipped over and scooped it into his arms.

Boos arose from the Slytherin section at the rough play. Draco was softer than Harry's team mates in the real house team, so Harry thought he ought not to be roughed up, even on the Quidditch pitch. Harry aimed his broom towards Weasley, dodged a Bludger, and began to loop around Weasley in a lazy spiral.

"Hi there, you heap of dung!" he called cheerily. "Off to throw the Quaffle, then? Good luck!"

"Shut up, Potter!" Weasley shouted, and he took his eyes off the hoops to glare at Harry.

He attempted to throw the Quaffle, but distracted by Harry, he threw it in the wrong direction and Theo caught it.

Thirty, forty, fifty points Slytherin scored. Finally Weasley got it into his head to pass the Quaffle to Patil, and the three Chasers managed to get into some sort of rhythm. They brought the Quaffle down into scoring position for the first time. Finnigan got the shot off, and Daphne, faked out by Patil, missed the save.

"Gryffindor scores! Fifty-ten, Slytherin!"

Thomas, playing Seeker, was flying desperately all over the pitch. He apparently believed that his team's best chance to win was an early capture of the Snitch – Harry agreed. Reluctantly, he took his eyes off the main game and began to search for the Snitch.

"Thomas is tailing Potter now, obviously failing to find the Snitch on his own. Can he really beat Harry Potter? Can anyone?"

Harry flashed Padma a smile as he zoomed by the announcer's box. He arched into the sky and dove, like a hunting hawk. He applied the brake sharply, then sprang back, twisting in a tight corkscrew. The crowd was suitably impressed with these moves, and Harry played it up for them.

Daphne made two more saves, but several shots were getting by her, and Gryffindor was catching up. Theo must have taken offence at that, for he and Millie double-teamed Finnigan, guiding him not very gently into the wall. Gryffindor booed at this, but the Slytherins cheered loudly.

Finnigan managed to hang onto his broom, but he slid down the wall and sank slowly onto the grass. Harry was relieved that he didn't actually fall. Finnigan was back in the air! He caught the Quaffle as Patil passed it, and he dodged around Daphne to score again.

"Look at that fine manoeuvring by Nott!" Padma exclaimed. "You don't see that sort of skill every day!"

Kind of her to mention it.

Theo, Draco, and Millie launched into one of the more insane attack patterns that Harry knew. He'd spent a lot of time showing his friends this trick from Flint's playbook and was rightly proud of the beauty of their form. The three were passing the Quaffle as they sped towards the far hoops in a rotating spiral. Harry saw Flint on his feet cheering as the Quaffle soared through the hoops again - it was from his own playbook.

Better teamwork on the part of the Slytherin Chasers was gradually widening the score. Harry looked for the Snitch as goal after goal was scored. He felt a warm glow of pride in his friends. He was enjoying this so much that he almost didn't want the match to end. He looked around again for the Snitch, which did not seem to want to come and play today.

Just then, an eerie silence descended over the stadium. It was as though someone had magically turned off the sound, as if he had gone deaf. What was going on?

A horribly familiar wave of cold swept over him, inside him, just as he became aware of something moving on the field below. Harry looked and instantly wished he hadn't. At least a hundred dementors were moving onto the pitch, gliding along the ground. It was as though freezing cold water were rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. Then he heard it again - someone was screaming, a woman's voice was screaming inside his head.

_"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" _

_"Stand aside, you silly girl. Stand aside, now." _

_"Not Harry, please not, take me, kill me instead-" _

Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Harry's brain. What was he doing? Why was he flying? He needed to help her. She was going to die. Be murdered!

He tipped and fell off his broom, and it seemed as though he were falling through an icy mist.

"_Not Harry! Please! Have mercy! Have mercy!" _

An evil voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Harry knew no more.

* * *

00O00

"Lucky the ground was so soft."

"I thought he was dead for sure."

Harry could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. He didn't have a clue where he was or how he'd gotten there or what he'd been doing before he got there. All he knew was that every inch of him was aching.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Scariest… the scariest thing… hooded black figures… cold… screaming!

Harry's eyes snapped open. He was lying in the hospital wing. There was a crowd of Slytherins around him.

"Harry!" Tracy cried, squeezing his hand tightly. "Oh, thank Merlin!" She looked pale. Chip was in a sling tied around her waist. Why?

"Thank Madam Pomfrey," squeaked Chip. "She can do everything except raise the dead."

"I've patched this boy up a few times," the Matron said ruefully. "He doesn't learn from his experiences."

"Nothing could have prepared him for _that_," Theo said, blanching slightly.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"The Dementors stormed the pitch," Draco answered. "We were all able to get to the ground, but you just sort of fell off. I was looking right at you, and your eyes rolled back something awful. It was just like on the train."

"My broom?" Harry felt a stab of anxiety for his broom.

"I have it," Theo said, setting his mind at ease. "It just sank straight down to the ground and hovered."

"What about the Dementors?"

"Oh, Dumbledore was furious!" Tracy said gleefully. "He ran right onto the pitch as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot some of that silver stuff at them, just like Professor Lupin did on the train. That made them clear off. The Dumbledore conjured up a stretcher and walked you up here personally. Harry, for a moment there, we thought you were dead!" Her voice trembled at that.

"It takes more than a simple fall to kill me," Harry joked feebly.

"Not if you go head first," Daphne observed. "Which you nearly did."

Hermione Granger arrived at that moment. "So glad you're alright," she said. She tutted. "Quidditch is a stupid, dangerous sport."

"What do you mean by calling it stupid?" demanded Draco.

"I mean I could fix the rules to make them make sense," argued Hermione. "If the match times were set at four hours, the Snitch was only worth two of the ten point goals so as not to overwhelm the point spread, and the Seekers doubled as Chasers and went after the Quaffle after the Snitch was caught, then the rules would start making sense. To make it safe, we'd have to get rid of the Beaters and Bludgers."

"Why didn't anyone ask you, Granger?" sniggered Pansy. "Oh that's right. Because you can't even fly."

"Stop fighting," said Harry crossly. "It's giving me a headache."

"Yes, of course," said Hermione.

"Look, it's Ginny!" said Draco, pointing at the door.

"Where?" said Harry, giving a little start.

"Only joking," smirked Draco.

"Not funny," grumbled Harry.

"But this is no joke…" said Draco. "Sadie had a nervous breakdown."

"The poor sweet thing is in the other room," said Madame Pomfrey. "I'll go and check on her."

"Mummy was very, very upset," said Chip. "Madame Pomfrey gave her a calming potion."

"You're understating it, little doll," said Draco with a smirk. "And I thought it was some sort of sleeping draught. I wonder if it's worn off?"

Tracy rolled her eyes at him.

At that moment the doors to a side room flew open and Sadie emerged, followed by Madame Pomfrey. The expression on Sadie's masklike face looked awful, and her eyes were wide and extremely bloodshot. She had obviously been crying a lot. Harry felt a twinge of guilt as he remembered her plea that morning not to play. The match had gone very badly so what had been the point?

"Oh dear, oh dear…" murmured Chip.

"Sadie…" began Harry.

Sadie launched across the room, putting her green face close to Harry's so that their noses almost touched. "Harry …" Her voice was very hoarse. Her warm breath tickled. Her closeness was arousing… She grabbed his arms with her little hands. "How're you feeling? Tell me you're alright." Her blue eyes were almost starting through the holes in her mask.

"F-Fine… bit sore, that's all."

She kissed him rapidly all over his face. Sadly, she couldn't kiss with her real lips, only brush the lips of her mask on him. As her broad nose brushed against his, Harry felt the familiar longing for her warm embrace ignite within him…

Tracy gently stroked Sadie's purple hair.

"You poor thing, you don't look well," said Hermione.

Sadie turned her green face to Hermione. "I'm not well, Hermione." Sadie's voice was still hoarse.

"Quidditch is all about risk," said Draco. "It's a game where iron balls are whacked at players as a matter of routine. It's really weird that it should only tragic when Dementors mob the pitch."

Sadie glared at him. She was breathing through her nose and her boobs were rising and falling. "Quidditch is all about risk?" she said, her voice cracking. "Quidditch is absolute rubbish." She began to shriek. "I specifically said Harry shouldn't play but no… you said, 'shut up, McIntyre, are you trying to sabotage us?' Sabotage what? A match that was even lamer than the official matches?"

The other Slytherins began to edge away from Draco and look apprehensive. But Draco was unphased. "I'm the leader. I decide who plays Quidditch, not you."

Harry was uneasy. He remembered his mother's adage, "beware the wrath of a gentle girl." Muggles have the adage, "beware the nice ones." Draco seemed to see this as some sort of challenge to his leadership of the gang. But should he be making her angrier than she already was?


	8. Chapter 8

**Fighting Fiends**

Madame Pomfrey escorted a protesting Hermione out of the Hospital Wing. Sadie glared at Draco.

"You'd challenge me?" said Draco with a sneer. "I can bully my father, who's top of the wizarding elite. What chance do you stand?"

Sadie gave a hysterical little giggle. Tears were trickling down her mask. "You're cute. But you can't decide what we do. That takes good sense."

"Says the weirdest girl in the school," said Draco, raising an eyebrow over a cold grey eye.

"Who's with me?" demanded Sadie, her voice rising shrilly.

"Who says I should be leader?" said Draco.

"I've always loved you," said Tracy, kissing Sadie on the cheek.

"I love you too," said Harry. "Sorry Draco, but I'm going to have to side with Sadie."

"I side with Mummy!" squeaked Chip. "Why don't we all calm down and work on some Arithmancy?"

"Arithmancy?" said Theo. "McIntyre's actually top in that. I can use her help for once." He stepped beside Sadie.

"Ugh! I'm not siding with that prat!" said Pansy, pointing at Theo. She stepped beside Draco.

"Really Pansy? Don't you think it's about time a girl was in charge for a change," said Tracy.

Pansy stuck out her tongue. "No."

"Hm…" Daphne pondered, her eyes flickering from Sadie to Harry. "Well Pansy, I do say a girl should be in charge for a change." She stood beside Sadie.

"I suppose you're right," said Millie, and she stood by Sadie too.

That left Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy siding with Draco.

"We shouldn't be divided," said Sadie. "Please, Draco, have some sense. Just tell me you're sorry."

"Sorry for you losing what grip on reality you still had?" said Draco annoyed. "If you want to be leader, you have to fight for it. And I'll have to trounce you."

"One on one, then," said Theo. "Fair's fair. No involving Crabbe or Goyle."

"Alright…" said Draco.

He and Sadie faced each other. Draco raised his unicorn wand, which glowed with a silvery white light. Sadie raised her dragon heart wand which gave off a sickly green and purple glare, illuminating her disfigured face in an unnerving way.

"Impedimenta!" said Draco.

Sadie screeched a strange, guttural garble of syllables and flicked her wand. Draco's jinx was cast aside and a huge, purple millipede made of strange light formations came spurting and worming its way out of Sadie's wand, moving with unnerving speed to wrap itself around Draco who gave a little yell and dropped his wand.

"It's alright, he won't hurt you!" said Sadie.

"I submit!" said Draco, his tone panicked. Clearly he was not reassured.

Sadie flicked her wand again, and the millipede dissolved into a shower of purple sparks.

"I think we all heard," said Harry. "Sadie was the clear winner."

"Definitely!" said Tracy.

"There can be no question that Mummy won," squeaked Chip.

"Yeah. Fair and square," said Daphne.

Sadie nodded. "As leader, I say we all try to get along. We can look at restarting Hogwarts Togetherness. That's good for the school… For Darkness' sake, let's stop quarrelling amongst ourselves."

Madame Pomfrey came back into the Hospital Wing.

"Heyy, Madame Pomfrey," said Sadie, smiling at her with the lips of her mask.

"Alright, dear?" said Madame Pomfrey, stroking her purple hair. She glanced at Draco. "Get up off the floor, Malfoy."

Sadie sat on Harry's bed and cupped her disfigured face in her little hands. "I'm still not well."

"Stress… PMT… they'll pass," said Madame Pomfrey. "But you'd best stay here."

* * *

00O00

Sadie shared Harry's bed as they recovered. The warmth of her body next to his was comforting. Tracy was not allowed to sleep with them, because she was not convalescing. Despite Tracy's protestations, Madame Pomfrey ordered her away. Visiting hours to the Hospital Wing were restricted.

Harry was uneasy. "Mum will be really upset."

Sadie squeezed his hands. "Aw. Of course she will. But Dumbledore will break it to her gently. He's so eloquent. He'll stop her worrying."

Colin Creevey came to visit. Harry found him a bit overbearing, so thought he should just let Sadie handle things. It wouldn't do to be tetchy when Colin was only trying to be polite.

Sadie grinned at the Gryffindor. "Heyy, Colin. Good of you to come."

"Hullo Colin," said Harry, forcing himself to smile.

"Hi guys!" said Colin. Did Colin say "guys" now because Sadie said it?

Colin had actually tried to draw a picture of Sadie. Although it looked like a green bratz doll. Poor Colin just couldn't draw very well. Sadie acted like she was pleased with it, however.

Colin went on about his school woes this term. "I'm about seven months behind in everything. I had hoped the Professors would go easy on me, but no… Professor Snape had some pearls of sarcasm."

Sadie's mouth opened in indignation. "No! He definitely should have taken into account that you were petrified. Of course he should."

"You still have a head start in Arithmancy," squeaked Chip. Chip's head with its smiley mask was poking out from under the covers beside Sadie. "Arithmancy starts out with basic Maths."

Hermione Granger arrived at that moment. Was it raining Gryffindors? She parked herself on the side of the bed. "I was hoping we could start Hogwarts Togetherness again. It was good for the school. We can teach each other more than I thought. Now I know you're so good at Arithmancy. Maths was never my strong suit. If I were an author avatar, she would be the kind of author who thinks Hogwarts has 600 kids and the magical community numbers just 3000."

"Chip's good at Arithmancy," said Sadie. "I'm not." She cradled Chip in her arms and tickled his belly, making him giggle and kick his stumpy legs. "But I agree. We'll restart Hogwarts Togetherness."

* * *

00O00

Later Harry was awakened by the sound of gurgling and cooing. It was his mother, with baby Goldie. Cora carried Goldie in a sling like the one Sadie used to carry Chip.

Cora sat herself on the bed and stroked Harry's hair. Her eyes shone with tears. "My poor sweet boy." She frowned. "What was the idiot Minister thinking, setting Dementors around a school? How could the fool suppose he knows better than Dumbledore?"

"It's beyond my ability to fathom as well," squeaked Chip.

"Fudge wants a smack around the head. I'd like to do it myself." Cora gritted her teeth and clenched her fist.

"And why don't the parents all send Fudge Howlers?" said Sadie. "That's what I'd like to know."

"Reminds me of the Greyfriars or even the St Winifred's boarding school stories," squeaked Chip. "With how indifferent the parents all seem to be."

Harry thought of the paralyzing memories the Dementors induced and even though he was not as good as Chip when it came to Maths, he put two and two together.

He sat up. "I know what the Dementors make me remember… When they make me faint, I can hear Voldemort murdering my birth mum."

The blue eyes of Cora and Sadie both widened with shock, and Sadie put her little thin arms around him and hugged him tight, her hard green face pressing against his shoulder. "Oh, Harry…"

Cora touched his cheek with a cold, green hand (hags are cold blooded with slow heart beats). "My poor, sweet darling. A horror in your past the rest of us can't imagine."

"Are there ways to fight the Dementors, Mummy?" squeaked Chip. "It seems like the sort of thing you'd know."

"Oh yes," said Sadie. "I think the best chance is wraithing. Becoming undetectable to them. But first things first… Harry, we need to do something about your stress. Too much stress makes you ill. You can do with some stress free sleep."

Sadie ought to know about stress and illness. She had just fallen ill because of stress from worrying about him. Could Harry himself really fall ill from stress? If they hugged, Harry thought that would be good enough for his stress, but Sadie had something else in mind. She gathered up her satchel from the bedside table and drew out a ball of cotton wool.

"It's the cloud of worries treatment," squeaked Chip. "Mummy likes this one."

"I do, little love," said Sadie. She leaned over Harry. Her closeness made him feel longing… Awkward that his mother was right there.

Cora sighed. "Don't I wish I could do healing magic?"

Sadie smiled, her features moving awkwardly under her mask. She spoke in a whisper, her warm breath tickling Harry's face. He badly wanted to just take her in his arms and kiss her then, but she was obviously trying some sort of healing magic on him. "This cloud represents your worries. It popped up because you were feeling overwhelmed. But I can take your worries away, bit by bit…" she began to pull bits off the little cloud. "As for the noise in your head… The despair from the Dementors' evil power… we don't want any of that. No, no, no…" She pulled a large piece off the cloud. "No more despair. I forbid it."

Would this actually work? Sadie seemed to think it would. Harry did feel his mood lightening, and he felt drowsy. His eyes were fixed on hers. Her magnetic blue eyes filled his entire vision. She had him in a trance. Soon he was asleep.

* * *

00O00

When Harry, Sadie and Chip were released from the Hospital Wing, Tracy greeted them enthusiastically in the Slytherin Common Room, pecking Harry on the cheek, then bending down to kiss Sadie on the mouth, making good use of her tongue.

The third years all gathered together. "Listen, Draco, no hard feelings," said Sadie. "I'm really sorry that it came to us duelling."

"Beaten by a girl?" said Crabbe snidely.

"Shut up, Crabbe," said Sadie glaring at him. "What difference does gender make to magical strength? Do you think you're an author who throws in tropes from Muggle literature undigested without giving them any thought at all?"

"Wow, Crabbe, you are dumb," said Tracy. "I suppose you also think that the kids at Hogwarts make 20% of the magical population?"

Draco turned away from Sadie in a huff, but she reached up to touch his shoulder. "Draco, look at me. I only want you to be happy and for us all to have fun together. I've got stuff planned but we need you there. Hogwarts Togetherness will begin again, but we need you to teach kids from other houses manners."

Harry recognised the flattering tactic he and Sadie had used on Draco in their first year.

Draco relented and turned around. "Well since you can't really do much without me…"

Sadie beamed. "I have a token of my appreciation…"

"Are you sure he'll like it, Mummy?" squeaked Chip.

Sadie produced a bouquet, this one with a white flower that elongated so that it resembled the jaws of a lizard with a grey stamen for a tongue. "Slather yourself in steak sauce so I can lick you, boy!" moaned the flower.

Sadie giggled. "Isn't it cute?"

"Your manners…" said Draco, "they're a complete joke."

"That's why I need you," said Sadie.

* * *

00O00

Charity Burbage, the Muggle studies professor was agreeable to helping with the Togetherness Society, as long as Percy Weasley, the Head boy was the one doing the work of supervising.

The first topic of discussion involved telling the Muggleborns and Muggle raised about Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade was the only entirely wizarding village in Britain. Tradition held that it had been founded about the same time as Hogwarts, in Medieval tiems. The village founder, according to Percy, had fled persecution by Muggles, winding up near the castle. Hengist of Woodcroft had found safe haven and settled down to build a village that was still picturesque, with thatched cottages and shops and one main road.

"Hogsmeade is also a haven for other magical beings," said Sadie grinning. "Ogres and hags can find a welcome there too."

"Riff raff," grumbled Crabbe.

Harry glared at him.

Sadie shook her head, her purple hair rippling and bouncing. "You cannot come to a Togetherness Society with that kind of attitude. Do you think you're in a book written by that author who can't count, where stereotypes about other magical beings are true?"

"Shows how stupid you are, Crabbe," said Tracy.

Given recent events, Sadie wished to bring the topic round to Dementors. Harry had advised Percy that Sadie should be the one to take the lead in discussions. Percy had promised to be in Harry's debt after Harry helped save Ginny the previous summer.

Sadie took the podium. Lamplight shone off her green nose and cheeks. She smiled around at them.

"OK, guys, Dementors - It's important that you know all about them, since they're parked at all the entrances."

"And they're the only magical being that Muggles don't already know about – not even as myths," squeaked Chip. He was in a sling tied around Sadie's waist.

"That is strange, how every other magical beast and being seems to have been directly ripped off from Muggle mythology and published literature, but not Dementors," said Hermione.

"That is strange," said Sadie. "Anyway, Dementors are demons that grow like a fungus in places where acts of unspeakable evil have taken place. They cannot be destroyed easily, but individual Dementors die off eventually. They suck the life out of you with their mere presence. Through sheer force of tradition, the dreadful system of corralling them with convicts continues to this day…"

"We don't want to hear your self-righteousness!" said Zacharias Smith impertinently.

Harry felt a stab of annoyance. "Why don't you shut your mouth?" he demanded of Zach Smith.

"No heckling, Smith," said Percy, waggling his finger. "Continue Sadie."

"Dementors are horribly dangerous," said Sadie, "if they ever get the chance, they suck out your soul through your mouth, where it's trapped in the Dementor until that particular Dementor dies off."

The Muggleborns gave little gasps of horror, except for Hermione, who must have already known this.

Sadie grimaced. "It's called the Dementor's Kiss. Muggles know it as 'permanent vegetative state.' The Ministry doesn't allow the Dementors to Kiss anyone except in rare circumstances, but Dementors are vicious, and will try it if they think they can get away with it." Sadie scowled. "Now they're all around the school."

"How can you fight Dementors?" asked Colin Creevey in a tremulous voice.

Sadie smiled at him. "A number of ways. Let's pool our ideas. My personal choice would be wraithing. Transmuting to wraith form so that they can't catch me."

Theo tutted. "Professor Snape made the best case for advanced Occlumency – If the Dementors can't sense your thoughts, they can't sense you at all."

Cho Chang, a fourth year put up her hand. "I suppose an Animagus would have an advantage. Isn't it harder for Dementors to sense animal emotions?"

Harry admired Cho's dainty build and her cute face for a moment.

Sadie nodded at Cho, her purple hair rippling and bouncing. "That's right. Dementors can't see. They only grope their way towards people by sensing their emotions. They find it much harder to sense animals."

Hermione put up her hand. "I'd say the best means of defence is the Patronus charm. The true Patronus charges Dementors down."

Percy nodded. "That would be my personal choice too. But it is a charm well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level."

"How do you do it?" asked Colin Creevey excited.

"Um…" Sadie didn't know.

"The incantation Expecto Patronum," said Percy. "But that's the easy part. This is one of the few spells in our magic system that requires something other than funny words. You also have to concentrate on a happy memory. This is very, very difficult if there is a Dementor anywhere near."

* * *

00O00

The gang went to classes, studied, and shared anecdotes from the subjects they took, such as the first Care of Magical Creatures class where, Millie breathlessly reported, Hagrid had brought out hippogriffs. Draco laughed out loud when Crabbe shared that Professor Trelawney had predicted that Ronald Weasley would suffer a very horrible demise. Sadie rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Before long, Quidditch practices restarted. The rest of the gang sought to persuade Sadie that Harry should keep Quidditch up. Her disapproval was a big deal now that she was their leader.

"Dumbledore won't let the Dementors back onto the grounds," Tracy soothed. "Say what you will about him, but he's a lot cleverer and more powerful than the dopey Minister."

"It's important for Harry's popularity and wellbeing," said Daphne. "Now he's the best player in the school, everyone admires him. If he quit the team, the rest of the House would come down on him like a ton of bricks."

"Yes, Flint would be furious at Harry if he let the team down," said Theo.

"Harry does like Quidditch a lot," squeaked Chip. "It makes him very happy."

Sadie stuck out her bottom lip as best she could despite her disfigurement. "I'll never get Quidditch. But you should do what makes you happy, Harry."

Theo's birthday at the beginning of October was an excuse to stay up late and eat too much cake, as was Millie's soon after. The whole gang could fit in the boy's dorm for both.

"Many happy returns!" said Sadie, hugging Millie on the evening of her birthday. She showed Millie the gift she'd got her. It was a weird valuables container, shaped like a little monster that looked like a skull with bloodshot eyes. It could also bite through magical locks. "Isn't it cute?" laughed Sadie as it snapped at her finger.

The Hogwarts house elves had allowed them to scrounge a lot of party food.

"The Hogwarts elves do a great spread," said Draco. "Good servants. Comparing them to our elves… Nibby's my good servant, but Dobby's my creepy old guy."

Harry agreed with that.

Chip was sitting on the floor holding a piece of cake in both hands. He had a tiny night cap on for some reason, as well as his smiley mask. "Many happy returns, Millie!" he squeaked. "How many birthdays do I have, Mummy?"

"There's the day you were born, then there was the day I resurrected you," said Sadie. "Here, let me help." She scooped Chip up in her arms and moved his mask so she could feed him the cake with her fingers.

* * *

00O00

Harry knew now why the Dementors affected him so strongly. Unfortunately he was still susceptible to taunts about it. Whenever he saw Harry, Ronald Weasley would mime a fainting spell. It was irritating in the extreme.

One Saturday morning, the Togetherness Society was excited about the visit to Hogsmeade. That, of course, did not interfere one iota with the Hogwarts gossip mill. Amidst all the speculation and betting revolving around the next weekend's Quidditch match (Slytherin versus Gryffindor), everyone was talking about Professor Snape and how he had substituted for Professor Lupin during Friday's lessons. In particular, Gryffindor's loss of twenty points was being blamed on Ronald Weasley. Typical of Ronald to mess things up. Back towards the end of September, Professor Snape had taken their Defence class and done just fine.

Harry hurried back to the dorm after the meal to don his favourite green cloak and a pair of gloves. The weather was somewhat chilly, and Harry liked staying warm. He tapped himself on the chest and spoke the Self-Warming Charm that Professor Snape had taught them all back in first year.

He and Draco and Theo met the girls in the common room. Sadie was carrying Chip in a sling and Harry noticed that Tracy had done herself up quite fancily.

"Isn't she beautiful?" said Sadie happily.

Harry studied Tracy for a long moment and smiled at her when she met his eyes. They were all just about to leave when they were interrupted.

"Hold it right there!" Jamie Davis bounced up off the sofa and took three quick strides. She grabbed Tracy by the chin and turned her sister's face to the light. "What's all this, then?"

"It's not anything," Tracy denied as she tried to squirm away.

"Tracy Aliza Davis, why were you rooting through my kit? You know full well that you are _not _allowed to wear makeup unless Mother gives permission."

"But I'm going out to Hogsmeade!" Tracy protested.

"No you don't!"

With that final denial, Jamie dipped two fingers into Tracy's collar, twisted her wrist to choke the poor girl, and began hauling her to the bathroom.

"A good scrubbing ought to teach you not to steal my makeup!"

Pansy smirked.

"Jamie, go easy on her!" urged Sadie, wringing her little hands together.

"Don't presume to order me around," snapped Jamie.

"It appears that Tracy will not be joining us," Daphne observed.

The gang met the rest of Hogwarts Togetherness in the Entrance Hall, and they proceeded down the path, until they reached the wrought-iron gates that stood open with one solitary guard in a ragged black shroud. The awful wave of coldness struck them, and no one wanted to laugh.

Sadie squeezed Harry's hand in reassurance. "Focus on my voice, Harry," she murmured. "Don't let despair rise." Her other hand was on her wand.

Beyond the gates, Daphne told an anecdote about Divination.

"Well Trelawney made this random statement," the funny girl was saying, "to the effect that something awful that Brown had been dreading would happen in the middle of October. Well wouldn't you know, her pet rabbit got mauled by a fox not two weeks ago!"

"What?!" several of them, Harry included, exclaimed.

"I couldn't believe it myself, but Brown was so tearful that I just know it really happened."

"How could she be dreading her rabbit getting killed by a fox?" Millie wanted to know.

"Yeah," Theo chimed in. "Seems a bit vague to me."

"I'm sure she wasn't dreading that in particular, but it has to have been something she's worried about at one point or another." Daphne tried to explain it. "Trelawney _did _predict something awful would happen, and it did."

"Lucky guess," Pansy said scornfully. "Even a clock that doesn't work anymore can be right twice a day."

"Divination is rubbish," Theo declared with confidence. "Professor Vector says so."

"Oh, I couldn't agree more. Arbitrarily deciding that a lump of sodden tea leaves looks like a bowler hat or a dog's head? If you believed in it, it's enough to make you start looking for signs everywhere."

"There _are _signs everywhere," Goyle spoke up, "like that one there that says 'High Street'."

Crabbe guffawed loudly. Everyone else, even Daphne, who loved to make her friends bemoan her wit, groaned at Goyle's awful punniness.

"Where do we go first?" he wanted to know.

"Honeydukes," Goyle answered, wincing as his voice cracked. "We need to get sweets before the good stuff is gone."

"Then let's move," said Crabbe. "If we wait, there'll be only blood-flavoured lollipops and Cockroach Clusters left."

"Why'd they have Cockroach Clusters?" asked Colin.

"Cos it's weird," said Goyle.

"Don't you know anything?" said Crabbe witheringly.

"Crabbe!" Sadie glared at him and he didn't dare make a retort.

Colin held Sadie's free hand. "Some older kids in Gryffindor say magical etiquette is easy, but it's often confusing. Like, how do you know when you're talking about something that magical people aren't supposed to."

"Aw," said Sadie. "Yes, that kind of thing can definitely be confusing."

Harry privately thought that Colin could be overbearing, so maybe it wasn't all to do with his knowledge of taboos.

They browsed through the different and fantastic sweets at Honeydukes, got lots of laughs looking through the shelves at Zonko's joke shop, and marvelled at the selection of clothing at Gladrags Wizardwear.

The first stop was at the Three Broomsticks, an inn at the near edge of town. With a good locale and a pleasant, homey exterior, the place was a frequent haunt of many Hogwarts students.

The Muggleborns all tried butterbeer. Wonderful stuff, it warms you down to the toes. Sadie moved Chip's mask to pour some in his little mouth.

All too soon it was time to go back. As they once again approached the gates of the castle, Harry felt the awful coldness washing over him. Even with Sadie's hand in his and the sound of her whispering in his ear, the screaming in his head was beginning.

"We need to get help about the Dementors," said Sadie. "All the help we can get."

The next morning she took him to Professor Lupin's office. By checking the Marauder's Map, they came across Lupin in the corridor.

"Hello Professor Lupin!" squeaked Chip.

"Good morning, Professor!" said Sadie beaming. "Great to see you're all better."

"Good morning," mumbled Harry. "Um, Professor, I have a problem…"

This was embarrassing!

Lupin eyed him for a moment. "I see. Well, if you're feeling under the weather, might I offer you a cup of tea? I was just headed back to my office. Would you be interested in seeing a grindylow? We'll be studying them next lesson."

Professor Lupin was the best Defence teacher that they had yet had. They'd just finished studying kappas. Without wasting any time, now they were on grindylows. Before a week had passed, they would be learning about hinkypunks. The Defence classroom was not far, and they followed Professor Lupin into his office, Harry wondered how it would have changed from Lockhart's awful self-obsession. To his delight, the place had a neat and tidy look to it now. Magical devices were on display, but not crowding the shelves. A very large tank of water stood in one corner, and a sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed up against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

"A water demon!"

"Yes, indeed." Lupin surveyed the grindylow thoughtfully. "We shouldn't have much trouble with him, not after the kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."

"So cute!" said Sadie.

The grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in the corner of the tank.

With one tap of his wand, Lupin make the tea kettle start whistling a merry tune.

"You know, Harry, this encounter is most well-timed. I've been meaning to pull you aside for some time now."

"Yes, sir?" It was usually never a good thing when the teacher wanted to pull you aside for a private talk.

"I'm sure you're not in trouble, Harry," squeaked Chip.

"I hope you're not harboring any resentment towards me for not wanting you to face the boggart," said Lupin.

Oh! Harry shook his head. "No, sir. You had a good reason."

"Thank you for understanding. It is always chancy to confront students with their worst fears. You, with so much tragedy in your life, are a more delicate situation than most."

"Exactly right," said Sadie.

Professor Lupin seemed thoughtful. "That you conjured up a dementor, well," the Professor trailed off thoughtfully.

"What does it mean?" Sadie asked.

"It suggests, Harry, that what you fear most is fear. This is both wise and profound. It reflects a certain maturity on your part. I can't help but wonder how you acquired it so early in your life."

"Harry is soo special," said Sadie. "It also shows he's the most rational of us. Dementors really do merit fear."

"I'd say they do," squeaked Chip.

"About these Dementors," Harry said, "you've got to know all about them?"

Lupin smiled at Harry's presumption. "Professor Dumbledore knows more than the entire staff put together. Professor Snape is also very knowledgeable, but yes, I know about Dementors."

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" Lupin called, and Professor Snape strode through the door, as if summoned by Professor Lupin's words. He carried a large goblet, the contents of which were smoking faintly. He tossed a curious look Harry's way, but spoke to Lupin:

"Here is your concoction, Lupin. As before, drink it directly."

"Thank you, Severus. I do appreciate your efforts."

"Mister Potter, Miss McIntyre. I hope you're not here because of poor performance in class."

"No, Severus," said Lupin, "I invited them for tea."

"Lupin, you never invite _me _for tea."

"I didn't realize you craved my company, Severus. As it was, I invited my students so I could show off the grindylow that came in yesterday."

"Such minor Dark creatures, Lupin. When were you planning on starting them on a really dangerous creature, like a werewolf? When I quizzed your third year Gryffindors on Friday, they had no idea at all how to identify one. I was treated to blank stares and Weasley's rudeness."

Sadie was gazing at Snape, her expression unreadable.

"All of the students have had a rather patchy education in Defence, Severus," Lupin replied mildly. "I'm only trying to help them acquire a fundamental base of knowledge."

"Very well then." Snape placed the goblet on the desk. "I wouldn't wait on this," he said and departed in short order.

"Are you sure you're alright, Professor?" said Sadie softly, gently touching Lupin's arm.

"I've been feeling a bit off-colour lately, and that potion is the only thing that helps."

"Aw," said Sadie. "I'm sorry."

"Professor Snape, as you know, is one of the very best, and I was never more than a passing student of Potions. This one is particularly complex, so I'm really fortunate to be working alongside him."

"A pity sugar makes it useless," Lupin said regretfully, taking a large swallow and shuddering.

"Poor Professor Lupin," said Sadie. "It's no joke to get ill every month. I ought to know. But what could it mean for that poor man?"

"Very cryptic, Mummy," said Chip.

* * *

00O00

The Halloween Feast was lavish like never before. The Great Hall had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes. The food was delicious; even those who'd gone into Hogsmeade today and stuffed themselves in either Honeydukes or the Three Broomsticks managed second helpings of everything. The feast finished with entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading. The Bloody Baron, needless to say, did not participate.

It was such a pleasant evening that even Weasley couldn't spoil Harry's good mood when he shouted out through the departing crowd, "The Dementors send their love, Potter!"

The gang returned to the Slytherin Common Room, but fifteen minutes later Professor Snape came through the stone wall. "Everyone, back up to the Great Hall, quickly!"

Harry was just as confused as anyone else, and he followed the crowd back upstairs. They found themselves joined by the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws in discovering the Gryffindors already there. Professor Dumbledore was standing, pacing, obviously thinking very quickly. When all the students had returned, he raised his hands for silence.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," he announced, as Professors Flitwick and McGonagall closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances, and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking very serious. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore paused as he was about to leave the hall and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing-" and with one casual wave of his wand, the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls. With another wave, the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well," Professor Dumbledore wished them, closing the door behind him.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.

"We got back to our common room, right?"

"We couldn't get through the secret door."

"The painting that guards the entrance was slashed to ribbons!"

"The guardian ran away. Peeves said she was running through the landscape up on the fourth floor."

"Peeves said?"

"Yes, Peeves said."

"She wouldn't let him in."

"Who?"

"Peeves said it was Sirius Black!"

"Sirius Black!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Masks and Mayhem**

"Sirius Black!"

When he heard that hated name, Harry felt his world slide into focus. Black was in the castle. He'd eluded the dementors and broken into Hogwarts! Harry remembered his revenge fantasies the previous summer, and looked around the Great Hall. The Head Boy had instructed the prefects to split up, and there were representatives from each house at every door. The oldest students guarded the main entrance, while the sixth years protected the side entrance commonly used by the staff. The last door, that leading to an antechamber, was watched by the fifth years. All of the prefects had their wands out. If Black did try to come into the Great Hall, he'd have to get past eight students who all excelled at their studies.

Little hands grabbed Harry's arm. "Harry! Don't even think about it!" Sadie turned her purple head to the others. "Draco! Theo! Help!"

Draco and Theo sat him on a sleeping bag. Sadie gripped his arms and glared up at him, the light from the floating candles shining off her broad nose. "You will not go blundering into danger!" Her voice trembled a little and her blue eyes were bright with tears.

Chip was seated on the sleeping bag. "I hope you weren't going to go looking for Black," he squeaked.

"Harry, you're not going to get out of this hall. Unless you can somehow walk through walls, there's just no way. Even with your invisibility cloak, you'd still have to open the door." Theo was being logical, as always.

"Right now, there's a bit of a mystery on," said Draco.

"What do you mean?"

Draco looked instead at Theo. "Why did Black try to break into Gryffindor?"

"Harry's parents were in Gryffindor," Theo said automatically. "Black's been locked up for twelve years, so he probably assumed that Harry was in Gryffindor as well."

"The real question is whether or not he's realized his mistake," Theo mused. "Will he try to break into Gryffindor again or come down into the dungeons?"

"Oh Darkness!" murmured Sadie.

"Let him come," Harry declared. "I'm not afraid of him."

Sadie clambered onto his lap to stare into his eyes. Her blue eyes looked like they were starting through the holes in her mask-like face, just as they had when had a nervous breakdown. "What do I keep telling you…?" Her voice sounded like it was crackling again.

Harry couldn't stand to see her in anguish.

"Harry, I'd be afraid of anybody who could foil the Dementors," Theo advised.

"Twice," Draco added.

"Alright, alright," said Harry. "You can smile again, Sadie."

"I don't feel like smiling," she growled.

Harry tickled her so that she screamed with laughter, thrashing around on the sleeping bag, flailing her little arms.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags! Settle down, now! No more talking!" Percy shouted to make himself heard over the general commotion. "Lights out in five minutes!"

"Put your own lights out!" someone sassed him.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Fred."

"Moron!"

"Twenty! Care to make it twenty-five?"

Fred Weasley grumbled, but did not reply directly.

"I didn't think so."

"Looks like they're still sore at ol' Perce," Draco commented. "Weasleys are ever so petty. Especially Ronald."

Sadie was just able to squeeze into Harry's sleeping bag with him. She was holding Chip who was swaddled in blankets. Her purple head poked out of the bag beside Harry, and Chip's small head with its smiley mask poked out beside hers. It was a tight fit. Sadie's cold plastic cheek was pressed against Harry's. He could feel her heartbeat and hear the soft sound of her breathing.

Students all around them asked the question of the hour: "How did Black break in?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw boy a few feet away. "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.

"He could have flown in," Dean Thomas of Gryffindor suggested.

"Idiots," Theo muttered under his breath.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Theo harrumphed. "The castle is guarded by more than mere stone walls, you know. There are hundreds of enchantments set over this place. It's impossible to get in by stealth."

"That's it, everyone! Lights out!" Percy waved his wand, and all of the candles that lit the Great Hall were snuffed out, plunging the room into darkness. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling that currently reflected the clear, starry night outside.

"That wasn't five minutes!" someone called out mockingly.

"Twenty more points from Gryffindor, George!"

"Shut up, Weasley!" a girl's voice hissed through the dark.

"Don't you two know when enough is enough?" another girl whispered.

Gradually everyone settled down, though a few pockets of whispering persisted and had to be quelled by the Head Girl. Harry stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep knowing that his Black was nearby. Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, many had finally fallen asleep.

"What Muggles call the Witching Hour," murmured Sadie. "I'd quite fancy going for a walk at this time to collect negative emotions. But it's out of the question. I'm staying put now. You ought to do the same."

"A very strange and specific admonition," said Harry.

Professor Dumbledore came in. Harry watched him looking around for Percy, who was leaned up against a near wall, yawning hugely. Harry quickly pretended to be asleep as the Headmaster's footsteps drew nearer.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy asked in a low whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir."

"Good. There's no point in moving them all now. They'll be able to move back in the morning."

"What happened, sir? We were all rushed here so fast, no one's had time to tell us."

"Sirius Black somehow gained entrance to the castle. He went to the entrance to Gryffindor tower, but apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked."

"Attacked!"

"Yes. He slashed the canvas so viciously that strips of it littered the floor. Great chunks of it were torn away completely."

"Merlin's name," Percy breathed. "And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mister Filch restore her. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole until then."

Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.

"Headmaster?" It was Professor Snape. Harry remained still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched."

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger, but we had to be sure."

"Have you got any theory as to how he got in, Headmaster?"

"Many, Severus, each as unlikely as the next."

Harry turned over so he could see, as well as hear. All he could see was Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before the start of term?"

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was a note in his voice that cautioned against returning to the subject.

"It seems almost impossible that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed-"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," Dumbledore said, his tone so final that Harry knew Professor Snape continued to argue at his peril. "I must go down to the Dementors. I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" Percy asked.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore, and the chillness in his tone could have frosted the windows over, "but no Dementor will cross the threshold of this school while _I _am headmaster."

Sadie made a small sound of approval.

Percy nodded and fought back another yawn as Dumbledore stepped away. Professor Snape watched the headmaster go with an expression of deep resentment, and he too departed.

* * *

00O00

Sadie and Harry slept for a few hours and then in the morning went down to bathe together in the Dungeons where they had time to quickly give each other love. Refreshed in spirits, they joined the rest of the gang at breakfast.

History of Magic started. The Hufflepuffs wanted to gossip about how Sirius could have broken in.

"McIntyre!" called Hannah Abbott, touching Sadie's shoulder. "I bet Black can turn into a flowering shrub."

"Oh?" Sadie smiled at her with the lips of her mask.

"Ridiculous," scoffed Tracy.

"Clearly he was high in You Know Who's favor!" said Macmillan pompously. "He must know dark secrets of breaking and entering."

Quirrell came in at that point. The topic was about how Azkaban was founded in the early eighteenth century by Rowle, the first ever Minister for Magic.

"The fortress was already infested with Dementors," said Quirrell. "Rowle had the idea that magicals who risked exposing magic to the Muggles should be confined there. It is a grim fortress – a prison that no one has ever broken out of. Until Sirius Black did last summer. Yes McIntyre?"

Sadie had put up her hand.

"Professor, there is something terribly, terribly wrong with a society that would torture anyone in that way, even if they are criminals." Sadie's voice was quivering. "Everyone knows that many waste away in the fortress, and some definitely do go mad …"

"Will you give it a rest with your self-righteous whining," jeered Zach Smith.

"Ten points from Hufflepuff, Smith," said Quirrell. "Stop interrupting. Miss McIntyre makes a very good point."

"Yes. I agree with her," interrupted Hannah.

"Good to hear, Abbott. Take five points back for Hufflepuff," said Quirrell.

* * *

00O00

After lunch, those Slytherins not taking Divination headed to the library, where they studied until it was time for Ancient Runes. After their last lecture, they headed for the common room, and Harry tossed his bag down.

"Did you see them watching me?" he demanded of no one in particular.

"Who, Harry?" asked Sadie.

"The teachers!"

"The prefects were everywhere, too," Theo added.

"Are you sure you're not just imagining things again, Nott?" Pansy sneered at him.

"I'd stop imagining you if could," he retorted.

"Guys! Be nice!" admonished Sadie.

"No, he's right," Harry said firmly. "They're watching me, and it's because of Sirius Black. If he can get into the castle, he can get to me, so they're watching. I bet there's even a prefect standing watch over the dorm tonight."

"They're concerned. Just like they ought to be," said Sadie in her soothing voice.

"They have a keen sense of duty," squeaked Chip.

To add to the general fuss, Professor Snape summoned Harry to his office that night. Sadie and Chip accompanied him. Snape looked grimmer than usual. "Is everything alright, Professor?" Sadie asked.

"No, everything is far from alright," said Snape darkly. "Mister Potter, I understand that Lucius Malfoy informed you that Sirius Black is after you. You will understand why it would be best if you were to refrain from Quidditch practices in the evenings."

"That is a very good idea," said Sadie nodding. "Flint will understand if you are the one to explain it to him, Professor. I know he wouldn't listen to me."

"A good idea?" said Harry indignantly. "Professor, we've got the match against Gryffindor on Saturday! I have to practice!"

"Mister Potter, you are the best Seeker this school has ever seen. Believe me when I tell you that your practice time would be better spent improving your Maths."

"I'd schedule the time to coach him, Professor Snape," squeaked Chip.

"You're so helpful, Chip. I'm so proud of you," gushed Sadie.

There had to be some way around this, some way he could make Snape see reason. "If Black broke in, I'm not safe anywhere," he shot back with perfect logic. "Black can break all rules and defy expectations. So unless you're willing to have me move into your quarters and shadow you everywhere, I'm going to be at some risk."

"Black would have to go through me first," said Sadie grimly, clutching her wand.

"I'm sure Black would be terrified of you, McIntyre," said Snape drily. "I admit, Mister Potter, you are right. With Black, I only know to expect the unexpected."

"The teachers are nearby in the castle, so why not assign a teacher to watch the practices if you think Sadie's not enough?" Inspiration hit Harry like an unseen Bludger. His voice picked up speed as his excitement at the prospect built. "Or perhaps the Head Boy? If you asked, say, Percy Weasley to keep an eye on me, we wouldn't even have to go outside the house. Our Quidditch secrets would be safe, I'd be well-protected, and none of the staff would have to take time away from – from - from whatever it is you do, when you're not teaching."

"That's a smart idea," squeaked Chip.

Sadie sighed and shook her head. Had she been hoping that Snape would remove Harry from the Quidditch team? She really took the dangers of Quidditch too seriously. Abruptly she groaned and touched her boobs. Was it her period again?

Professor Snape spared a small smile. "Very well. I will speak to Mister Weasley tonight. You may practice as normal tomorrow evening."

Harry felt a wash of relief. "Thank you, sir. I know Flint will be very pleased."

"Oh, Flint will be pleased. That makes everything alright," said Sadie with a dryness of tone to match Snape's.

"I value Flint's opinion when it comes to Quidditch, McIntyre," said Snape.

"Well I hate the thought of the Gryffindors whacking iron balls at Harry. Or at anyone really. You know how rough they are. Quidditch is all wrong."

"I'll file that with your belief that your monstrous bouquets are cute," said Snape. "Dismissed, all of you."

"Good night, Sir," said Harry.

"Yes Professor, Goodnight," said Chip.

Sadie sighed. "Sorry I snapped at you, Professor. Good night."

* * *

00O00

The wind howled all through the night. Harry was never more glad to be able to sleep in than when Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle rose for Care of Magical Creatures. Sadie's warm body was pressed into his. He hugged her tight, making her squeak. All was bliss as he slept until it was nearly time for Defence.

Sadie sat up in bed, her purple hair disheveled. "Defence! Woo hoo!"

Harry agreed with the sentiment. Every Slytherin agreed that Professor Lupin was worth his mustard.

"What a change from when Lockhart was the Professor," said Harry

Sadie pushed her purple hair away from her face. "Lockhart. What a fraud. But he could have taught creative writing. He wrote so many stories. Or drama, what with all his acting out. He might just have been able to pull off teaching art. Maybe. He did that stunt when he was at school where he projected an image of his face on the Quidditch pitch. But he had no idea about Defence. Talk about missing his path in life."

Sadie scooped Chip up from his cot and cradled him in her arms. "Rise and shine, little love." She awkwardly tried to kiss him with the lips of her mask. "Time for Defence! Yay!"

"Professor Lupin is a special Professor," squeaked Chip.

"He sure is."

Sadie took out a purple potion flask and moved Chip's mask so she could bottle-feed him. "There, isn't that nice?" she cooed.

Just then they heard a whimpering from Draco's bed. Was something wrong?

Sadie handed Chip to Harry and went over to Draco's bed to pull back the curtains.

"Draco? What's wrong?"

Sadie clambered onto the bed, but Draco turned away from her.

"Hey! Draco, look at me," Sadie touched his shoulder with a little hand.

"You don't care what's wrong," said Draco sulkily.

"What?" Sadie sounded hurt. "I do care. Please tell me. I'll feel really bad if I can't help."

"Tell Mummy, and she will make it alright," squeaked Chip. "She's done quite a lot more than you realize, Draco."

"I doubt it," said Draco sourly. "She caused the problem. In her ambition, she humiliated me in front of the gang."

"Oh Darkness, oh Darkness," said Sadie. "I'm sorry I shouted at you and if I frightened you. I was going through serious anxiety issues. I do regret shouting at you very much."

"Throwing your weight about… You don't need me in your gang."

"I do, I do!" protested Sadie. "Draco, you're upset and not thinking clearly." She pulled a little purple brush from under her nightie. "With this brush I can brush away negative feelings…"

"Get it away!" snapped Draco, swiping at her brush. "Being a leader was all I am, and you had to be melodramatic about it and take it away."

"You are a very special wizard, no matter what," said Sadie softly. "I can help you prove it to Lucius. At the Winter Solstice when we give thanks to Darkness, you can astonish him with your progress in Dark knowlege. I promise, I promise…"

"Well…" Draco was interested by that.

Sadie cupped his face in her little hands. "I can take you to the Darkest place ever! Lucius will be soo impressed with you." she whispered intensely. "Lucius won't care that you lost a duel. I'll tell him that you had to let me win our duel because I'm cracked. How does that sound?"

This was strange, even for her. Harry thought she was going a bit far – he assumed this was meant to soften Draco's disappointment about not being the leader of their gang of Slytherins anymore. Lucius probably would believe she was cracked.

"If I can impress him like you say, you'll have made it up to me," said Draco.

* * *

00O00

Harry wondered what Dark Magic Draco and Sadie were gushing over. Probably something that made grindylows seem mundane by comparison. They had an enjoyable Defence lesson and afterwards, Sadie and Harry hung back.

"Sir, could we please ask some questions?" asked Sadie.

Harry wasn't sure how one went about asking for special instruction, but he suspected it would be better to be polite. Best leave the smooth talking to Sadie.

"Of course, McIntyre. My door is always open to students who wish to learn. Is it about the grindylows?"

"No, Sir. It's about the Dementors. They're terrible."

Lupin nodded. "Dementors are the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places; they glory in decay and despair; they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the very air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them."

Harry swallowed the tightness in his throat. Sadie squeezed his hands. "When I get near them, I can hear Voldemort murdering my birth mum. I hear her voice begging, pleading with him not to kill me. I hear him laughing as he kills her."

Sadie's bottom lip stuck out and she gave a little sob.

"It is heart rending, isn't it?" squeaked Chip.

Lupin made a mood as if to grip Harry's arm, but then thought better of it. Gryffindors have to act emotionally constipated. "They affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have," said Lupin. "The worst that has happened to you, Harry, is enough to make anybody fall down or fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."

"Well said," squeaked Chip.

"They're supposed to catch Sirius Black, but what use are they?" Harry asked bitterly. "He escaped from them while they were guarding him."

"Yeah!" said Sadie. "They don't even do the one useful thing they were supposed to do! They're nothing but trouble."

"It is strange," Lupin admitted. "Black must have found some way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible. Dementors are alleged to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long."

"You made that Dementor back off on the train," Harry said.

"You were great!" said Chip.

"I think that was that Patronus Charm. Right, Professor?" said Sadie.

"It is one means of defence," said Lupin. "Bear in mind that there was only one Dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist them."

"Could you teach the Patronus Charm?" said Harry.

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting Dementors, Harry. Quite the contrary."

"If the Dementors swarm the Quidditch match on Saturday-"

"That's why Quidditch ought to be cancelled if the Dementors cannot be removed," said Sadie.

"Professor Dumbledore is going to be personally guarding the pitch," Professor Lupin interrupted. "He was angrier about what happened at the start of term than I've ever seen him."

Sadie's disfigured face had a ghastly expression as she remembered that day. Her blue eyes seemed to pop out of her mask again. Harry doubted Dumbledore had been disturbed by it as badly as Sadie.

"What about boggarts?" Harry pressed. "If I run into one of those, it will become a Dementor."

Lupin considered that. "You are right, Harry. Very well. I'll try to help, but it will have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill."

"Aw, so sorry to hear that," said Sadie, touching his arm. "I wanna help."

"A kind thought, McIntyre, but there really is nothing you can do."

"I wonder…" squeaked Chip. "Mummy's raised the dead before. Strange things happen around her. I'd never say there is nothing she can do."

Harry was sorry Lupin was ill, but he was more interested in Dementor fighting.

"Better later than not at all," he said, forcing a note of cheer in his voice. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, Harry. Now, hurry up you two, or you'll miss lunch."

They hurried to the Great Hall. Sadie took a light lunch, spending more time feeding Chip, while Harry gobbled down two sandwiches, a helping of potato salad, a serving of unadorned lettuce with Italian dressing, two slices of pie, and a whole treacle tart. He was just wiping his mouth when the bell for third period sounded, and they all bustled off to Transfiguration where Harry spent most of the period trying to turn his quill into a chopstick.

* * *

00O00

On the way to Potions, they gang walked town the corridors with the Gryffindors close behind them.

"Hey, Potter!" said Weasley. "The Dementors are coming Potter! Woo!"

"Idiot!" snapped Sadie. "Apologise!" She raised her wand.

Harry had a better idea.

"The Dementors make me hear Voldemort murdering my mum, Weasley," said Harry. "I hope you never have to hear anything like that."

Sadie seized Harry's hand instinctively as a gesture of comfort. The other students murmured aloud.

"You really should give it a rest with your pathetic taunting, Weasley," said Hermione. "It's so distasteful."

"I agree," said Neville Longbottom. "I'm getting sick of it, too."

"You just can't think before you talk, can you?" said Parvati scornfully.

Harry felt his heart lighten now that even the Gryffindors had begun to take his side.

Ginny arrived at that moment. Why was she following the third years around? "Ron was always least loved by a mother who wanted a beautiful daughter, and was sorely disappointed… until she got me. That's why she gives him rubbish dress robes and maroon sweaters and corn beef – as passive aggressive gestures that he was born a stereotypical sidekick!"

Harry cringed at this harsh jibe (much as he disliked Ronald) and Sadie grimaced, but Draco pointed at Ron and crowed: "Ha! Your Mummy regrets you were born, Weasley!"

* * *

00O00

Harry enjoyed Potions nearly as much as Defence. They weren't brewing today, so Harry paid close attention to the lecture. He became so engrossed in the topic that it seemed Professor Snape was just in the middle of the good part when the bell sounded the end of the class.

Harry and Sadie lingered here as well. Harry kept himself busy scrubbing at the stone counter, while Sadie sniffed the disgusting, fermenting dregs of her potion and murmured, "mmmm." When the last Gryffindor had departed, they went up to Professor Snape's desk and cleared his throat.

"Yes, Mister Potter? And you McIntyre?"

"Professor, you know a lot about Defence." Harry got to the point immediately. "Do you know about Dementors?"

Snape cocked an eyebrow at Harry. "I do. And now you want private tutoring, am I right?"

Harry would never cease to be amazed at how Snape seemed able to read minds. "Yes, sir. I need to know how to defend myself."

"We'd both love that!" said Sadie, grinning.

"I'd love it too… if only I had magic powers," squeaked Chip.

"Not to worry, Mummy's always gonna take care of you," said Sadie, making a kissy face.

"Very well," Snape commented. "I have decided that, before the next Hogsmeade weekend, I will be giving the prefects tuition. I will be making the announcement on Sunday. If you feel up to it, then you should both report to the first laboratory on Sunday evening following dinner."

The idea of lessons with the best students of Slytherin House was, to say the least, intimidating. Harry, though, was not one to back down from a challenge. "I'll be there, sir."

"Great! Thank you so much!" said Sadie.

"Good. Dismissed." Snape waved them away.

* * *

00O00

Quidditch practice next. Sadie and Chip followed Harry to the stands and sat as spectators. Flint scowled at Harry's tardiness.

"Now that we're _all _here," Flint said crossly, and they began to work on drills.

Seated in the stands to monitor the practice was Percy Weasley. His head of vivid red hair was as visible as Sadie's purple tresses. The Head Boy had been turned into a babysitter the previous night, and now he had to be present again. Harry would have felt guilty about taking Percy from his studies - the N.E.W.T.s were only seven months away, but ol' Perce really didn't seem to mind too much; he wasn't sitting alone. To keep him company, Jamie Davis had bundled up and braved the chill weather. They sat very close together, cuddling (and more) to keep warm. Harry was glad Percy had found his true love too. He thought that everyone should.

* * *

00O00

When Harry and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team arrived at their changing room on Saturday morning for the match, Flint started swearing sulphurously. Bole and Derrick, the Beaters, came out with some words Harry had never heard before. One thing about playing Quidditch with the older lads, Harry's vocabulary was constantly getting new updates.

The entire room had been redecorated with red and gold: Gryffindor's colours. It was enough to make you sick.

"Tear all this down," Flint growled, ripping down some red and gold bunting. He got a surprise as it triggered a small explosion, decorating _him _in red and gold as well!

"Booby traps!" Bletchley exclaimed.

"Bloody Weasley twins are behind this, or I'll eat the Quaffle," Flint snarled. His robes were now a dead ringer for Gryffindor's uniform.

"You might want to change before the match," Pucey suggested.

"Shut up, Pucey." Flint looked around at all of the redecorating and kicked at a wooden bench. "We don't have time to deal with this now. Get ready, but don't touch anything."

Harry thought that very sound advice. He strapped on his leathers quickly. He wanted to get out of here, away from all the red and gold. How had the Gryffindors even gotten inside? The changing rooms were supposed to be off-limits to the other houses.

"Bloody Merlin's beard!" Montague swore. Harry looked up at a sudden spraying sound and saw the Chaser dripping with gold paint. It appeared to have come from the locker where his gear was stashed.

Flint sighed. "Hit the shower and pray they didn't do anything to _that _." His face brightened. "Actually, that's a fine idea. Potter, you're already dressed. Run out and grab Warrington. Tell him we need him."

When Flint gave an order, it was always in one's best interest to obey promptly. Harry went from the changing rooms back up to the castle at a dead run. He caught the fifth year boy as he was just heading down to the pitch, all three of the fifth year girls walking very close to him.

"Potter!" Warrington the Third exclaimed in surprise. "Shouldn't you be with the team?"

"That's what. I'm here. For," Harry panted, gasping for every breath. "Sabotage. Gryffindor. Need you. Flint says."

Charles Warrington the Third stood up straighter. "If Captain Flint needs me, then I must go. Heather, Courtney, Amanda, I will see you after the match." The three girls made various noises of regret. "Race you there, Potter!"

Harry might have been fast in the air, but on the ground, the bigger boy's long legs ate up the distance in a way that Harry just couldn't match. When he stumbled into the changing room, Warrington was thick as thieves with Flint, discussing how to get Gryffindor back for their desecration.

Montague emerged from the showers, dripping water from his hair and chin. Without bothering to dry himself, he pulled on a spare set of robes and his leathers. All of the team was dressed by that point, and everyone gathered around Flint for his traditional pre-match pep talk.

"Don't let their little stunt distract you," he ordered. "We've never lost a match since Harry became our Seeker." Flint was interrupted by applause from the rest of the team. "We haven't lost the Quidditch Cup for seven years, and I don't intend to start now. If we win this year, Slytherin will have had the Cup for eight whole years. That's never been done since Quidditch started being played here at Hogwarts. We have a chance to go into the history books."

Everyone was suitable solemn at that prospect.

"We've gone up against this Gryffindor team before, and we know their weakness. Their Seeker is almost useless. Their Beaters may have had some practice, but they're still inexperienced in terms of actual matches. Bole, you and Derrick are going to take out one of the Chasers as soon as possible. We'll double-team the others and get some points on the board. I want to win by at least two or three hundred points to give us a nice cushion. Can we do it, Slytherin?"

"Up Slytherin!" they shouted.

"Again!"

"Up Slytherin!"

"More!"

"UP SLYTHERIN!"

As they flew out of the tunnel to the cheers (and jeers) of the crowd, Harry felt the excitement start to build. There really was nothing like Quidditch. He was a part of something, a team. He could see the small green and purple figure of Sadie in the Slytherin stands and noticed she looked glum. She never got Quidditch. Fancy thinking Quidditch non-sensical or rough! The team flew together, struggled together, and triumphed together.

"Here is the Slytherin team!" the commentator, Lee Jordan of Gryffindor, announced to the packed stadium. "Bletchley, Bole, Derrick, Flint, Montague, Potter, and Pucey!"

Harry followed as Flint led the team in a circuit of the pitch, glorying in the adulations of the crowd. He showed off a bit by taking both hands off the handle of his broom and steering with just his legs. He caught his friends looking very impressed with his skill.

"Here comes Gryffindor!" Jordan shouted joyously. "Bell, Frobisher, Johnson, Panning, Sharpp, Spinnet, and Wood!"

The Gryffindors cheered their team loudly.

The teams landed at the centre of the pitch, and Flint stepped out to exchange a so-called friendly handshake with Wood, his opposite. Each captain glared tried to crush the other's hand. Harry winced and Madam Hooch pulled them apart.

"Gryffindor, are you ready?"

"Yes!" they shouted in one voice.

"Slytherin, are you ready?"

The Slytherins responded with wild howls and excited shouting, which set off their supporters in the stands once more.

"I'm releasing the Snitch!" The golden ball buzzed towards Bell, ducked around her head, and disappeared. "Quaffle is loose!"

Johnson made the first grab, and she immediately threw to Spinnet, who had positioned herself down the pitch. It was a good opening play. Spinnet dodged around Pucey, passed to Bell. Bell gave the Quaffle back to Johnson, who faked out Bletchley to score the first points.

"Ten-nil, Gryffindor!" Jordan called out.

"Bletchley, pay attention!" Flint screamed as he caught the Quaffle and moved towards the Gryffindor hoops.

It happened so soon that Harry was sure he must be imagining things. He could have sworn that he saw the Snitch dancing along near the hoops that Bletchley was guarding. It was very exciting, because he'd never seen the Snitch come out so early. He leaned low over his broom, tuning out Jordan's crestfallen voice announce that the score was now tied.

Bletchley cocked an eyebrow at him as Harry soared in, eyes peeled for the Snitch. "I haven't seen it," he yelled.

"You should have been looking for the Quaffle!" Harry yelled back. "Let me worry about it!"

Bletchley's face turned an ugly shade of red. If not for the fact that they were in the middle of a match, Harry was sure the older boy would have tried to do something about his cheek. As it was, he made a rude gesture in Harry's direction and turned back to the match.

Harry looked hard, but the Snitch was nowhere to be found. If it had been here, Bletchley had scared it off. He swore mildly and made a wide, looping turn back up-pitch.

"Twenty-ten, Slytherin."

It was faint at first, but as more people gradually joined in, Harry could hear it clearly. Some boys in the stands were singing. As he listened, Harry felt his temper start to rise.

"Potter's a rotter, he falls off his broom! He's weak and pathetic, he'll fall down go boom!"

There, surrounded by red and gold, stood three singing Weasleys. A handful of other Gryffindors were singing as well.

"Potter's a rotter, he'll land in the mud! He'll fall off his broom, cuz he's just a big dud!"

Harry wondered if Peeves had written the lyrics, they were so dumb.

"Potter's a rotter, he falls off his broom!"

Harry had stayed on a jinxed broomstick in his first year. How could anyone forget that? It was easy when the whole school had seen him fall during the unofficial match at the start of term.

"He's weak and pathetic, he'll fall down go boom!"

"Potter!" Bole shouted, flying close to whack a Bludger that Harry hadn't seen coming. "Wake up!"

"Thanks, Bole!" If not for the Beater, Harry likely _would _have been knocked off his broom. Oh, how Weasley would have loved that. But it would have just killed Sadie. Harry trembled at the thought of how she would react…

"The Snitch flew by Derrick a few minutes ago, but he was keeping a Bludger away from Montague."

"I'll look for it," Harry promised.

"You'd better," Bole warned him.

The score had crept up to thirty even. Gryffindor's Beaters were showing a marked improvement over their last encounter. Flint hadn't been able to get any of his attack patterns started. Those points that had been scored seemed entirely due to luck.

"Potter's a rotter!" Harry tuned it out, just like Jordan's biased commentary. That double-team on Bell wasn't cheating, just creative flying.

"Gryffindor scores! Forty-thirty, Gryffindor!"

Just then, Harry spotted the Snitch! He reacted instantly, zooming towards the fluttering bit of shiny gold. He forgot the chill in the air, thinking only of catching the game-ending ball. Panning was nowhere nearby, and it was almost too easy as Harry's fingers clamped tightly, the wings tickling his hand.

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch. Slytherin wins, one-eighty to forty."

The Slytherins cheered, but most of the crowd made various expressions of disappointment. Harry almost shared their sentiment. The match had taken barely any time at all. Still, a win was a win, which was better than a loss, especially to Gryffindor.

The stands began to empty, and the teams headed for the changing rooms. In the shower, Harry warmed up under the hot spray after the chill of the autumn day. The team headed back up to the castle when they'd washed off the sweat of the match and into the dungeons where a raucous celebration awaited them. Flint sat at the head of the table, his due as captain of the team. Harry chose not to sit with the team. Sadie came running up to him, Chip strapped around her. They squeezed into one seat.

"I'm not going to ask how you enjoyed the match," said Harry.

"I felt really sick when a Bludger almost hit you," said Sadie. "Other than that, there isn't much to say."

"Flint, what are we going to do about the changing room?" Bletchley asked.

Flint swallowed a huge gulp of pumpkin juice and turned a disappointed expression to his Keeper. "A leader must be creative and resolute, Bletchley." He pointed at two second year boys. "You two! Get down to the changing room on the double. You're on clean-up duty."

"Get stuffed!" Arcen Bulstrode sassed back.

Millie gave her younger brother a smack upside the head. "Don't be mouthy! Go!"

The younger Bulstrode turned to Lucas Slater, who had also been given his marching orders. "Do we stand for this?"

Lucas nodded. "Flint is Quidditch Captain. That gives him equal status to prefects."

"Good boy, Lucas," said Flint approvingly.

* * *

00O00

On Sunday morning in the common room, Professor Snape made an appearance and an announcement. "All prefects will report to me in the first Potions laboratory immediately following dinner. Failure to report is not advised."

Ominous.

Harry and Sadie made love that morning, then the Slytherins worked on homework. He always seemed to leave it until Sunday. Harry polished off his assignments for Potions, Herbology, and Defence in short order. He breezed through his History of Magic essay and started on his Astronomy and Charms and then Chip gave the Slytherins pointers about the sums for their Arithmancy assigment.

At the appointed hour, Harry and Sadie headed for the Potions classrooms. Professor Snape started the lecture by slamming the door behind him as he walked in.

"Your duties and responsibilities have just been assigned a new dimension. Each of you will prove yourselves worthy of your silver badges. The Mininster has foisted Dementors on our school. We have witnessed one attack already this year, You as prefects will help the teachers in the protection of your fellow students. If you fail, I will appoint other prefects. First, I will teach you Occlumency and how it can be used to baffle these evil creatures."

Snape gave them instructions on partitioning their minds that Harry found hard to follow. Snape was very critical. "Useless, Bletchley, useless! You think like a Muggle… Try harder, Miss Davis, you can do a bit better…"

He glared at Harry, who felt as though he were being X-Rayed. "Pitiful, Mr Potter," said Snape, a note of disappointment in his voice. He glared at Sadie next, then glared more intensely. Sadie smiled back at him. Snape's eyes widened for a moment.

"Everyone, McIntyre has done it! Exactly as I instructed. Her mind is completely sealed off. Truly she is a natural at obfuscating her mind. Bletchley, you on the other hand have made no progress. You are temporarily relieved of your duties." Snape took Bletchley's prefect badge from him and pinned it to Sadie's chest. Sadie looked down at it, her blue eyes widening in surprise.

"Ooh. My Mummy's a prefect now," squeaked Chip.

"For a short time, yes," said Snape. "Certainly for the Hogsmeade Trip. I will accelerate her training with private sessions. Mr Potter… I'm sorry, but you clearly have no aptitude for Occlumency."

"Aw…" Sadie gently touched his hand in sympathy.

Harry knew that his best bet now was with Professor Lupin!


	10. Chapter 10

**The Darkest Alley of All**

Harry and Sadie came back through the wall entrance to the Slytherin common room and joined the boys at one of the round tables. Crabbe and Goyle still had parchment in front of them, but Draco and Theo seemed finished with their homework.

"Heyyy, guys," said Sadie, grinning at them. "How's it going?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at her. "Have you nicked a prefect's badge?"

Sadie fingered the prefect's badge pinned to her chest. "Noo… Professor Snape gave it to me."

"It's because she aced his Occlumency class, but Bletchley couldn't cut it," said Harry. "Nor could I."

Sadie patted his arm. "We all have different strengths Harry, it's what makes us all unique. You can fly better than anyone. Chip can do sums better than any of us. I can do Occlumency. We're all unique and that's good."

They sat down, squeezing together on a seat between Theo and Draco.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Harry admitted. "Snape's the hardest taskmaster of all the staff, and he's really drilling the prefects. He's the sort to keep them there all night if they can't do it. I can't keep up with that."

"I should have been there," said Draco with a sneer. "I'd have got that prefect badge before either of you."

Sadie beamed at him. "Aw, Draco, you're so unique! That's why we love you."

"You like saying the word 'unique' a lot?" said Draco.

"So, what are you going to do, Harry?" asked Theo.

"Wait for Professor Lupin to have time," Harry said with a shrug.

"That's it?"

"Excuse me, Theo, I'll look after both my boys," said Sadie firmly. She took Chip from his sling to cradle in her arms. "Yes I will," she cooed. "Mummy's going to pound the evil Dementors! The horrors made a big mistake when they messed with my boys." She tickled Chip's stomach, making him giggle and kick his stumpy legs.

"I can read about the Patronus Charm, anyway," said Harry.

"I'll be better prepared than I was tonight," Harry agreed, then decided to change the subject. "Where'd the other girls go?"

"They didn't say," Theo answered. "Tracy just sort of looked at Daphne without saying anything for a minute. Then they both looked at Pansy, and all three of them rushed back to the dorm. Millie went after them, but she hasn't come back yet."

"Oh dear. I hope everything's OK," said Sadie.

"Which one of you said something to offend them?" said Harry.

"That's just it," Draco jumped in. "We weren't talking. We were all reading."

"That's very strange."

"Girls are strange," Draco corrected. "Sadie's actually not unique in that respect."

"Very witty," said Sadie, smiling at him with the lips of her mask. "I've gotta go check on them. Love you," she touched Draco's arm. "Love you," she added, touching Theo's arm. She put the lips of her mask to Harry's lips in an attempt to kiss him despite her disfigurement. "Love you lots," she said.

That evening, Sadie and Tracy visited Harry in the dorm. "We've gotta try out the prefect's bathroom!" said Sadie. "They all say it's something special."

Harry, Chip and the girls arrived at the entrance to the bathroom beside the statue of Boris the Bewildered. Sadie said the password; "Cherry Blosson" and they went inside.

Harry's first thought was that it would be worth becoming a prefect or Quidditch captain (he was more likely to get that one) just to be able to use this bathroom. It was lit by a magnificent sparkling crystal chandelier that cast light on a diamond studied bath the size of a small swimming pool with a hundred different taps, each with a jewel on top. There was a portrait of a beautiful mermaid asleep on a rock.

Tracy clasped her hands together. "Ooh! Even Draco would be envious of this, I bet. Isn't it beautiful?"

Sadie smiled politely with the lips of her mask. "It certainly is."

"Mummy's taste in décor would be a bit different," squeaked Chip.

They played with the different taps which each had a different kind of scented bubblebath. One gave off enormous pink bubbles, another icy blue jets of soap, yet another with rainbow coloured streaks. The bath was full in a surprisingly short time and the trio stripped off, Sadie revealing her boobs and Tracy revealing that she was still flat chested. They slipped into the bubbly water, leaving Chip swaddled in blankets on the bathroom floor near the pool.

Tracy and Harry could stand with their heads above water, but Sadie was so short she had to treat water, so Tracy scooped her up in her arms and kissed her fiercely on the mouth.

"I don't want to see girl on girl action." A morose voice followed by Moaning Myrtle sliding out of a tap and alighting on the side of the pool. "You two haven't visited me in a while," she said glumly to Harry and Sadie.

Harry thought that the only way he would go through Myrtle's bathroom would be if he had to access the Chamber again as a matter of urgency.

"Sorry Myrtle," said Sadie.

"Are you spying on us, you revolting, creepy spook?" demanded Tracy. "Get out of here!"

Myrtle gave a wail and vanished back into the taps.

"Tracy…" reproached Sadie.

"She's spying on people bathing. Ugh!" said Tracy. "She ought to be exorcised. Though I doubt anyone will, if no one will exorcise Peeves."

* * *

00O00

November in Northern Scotland was usually very cold with lots of wind and rain. The first and second years often had to be supervised by a prefect when wintry weather confined them to the castle. Lucas Slater had expected to be supervised by a prefect in one of Hogwarts many unused classrooms. He hadn't expected to see a girl of small stature with an absurdly distinctive look carrying that weird baby doll with a smiley mask in a sling… but here was Sadie anyway, with a silver prefect's badge pinned to her robes.

"Heyyy everyone!" she grinned round at them. It was dingy outside because of the snow, but a lot of candles floated around to light up the room. The candlelight shone off Sadie's green nose. "I'm kind of new at this, but it's great to be here."

"I don't know…" Andrew Syker was starting being cheeky already, talking in his mock-mournful voice. "No one else wants to deal with us."

"I'm sure that's not true!" said Sadie, gazing at him with wide blue eyes.

She actually hadn't realized he was being cheeky!

"I think he's having a little joke," squeaked Chip. "Very funny it is too."

There was a ripple of giggling.

"Take off your mask!" coughed Zebbie Dree from the back of the room. "Freak!" he added.

Sadie turned to him. Her profile looked weird. Like someone had sculpted a girl's face with out of green clay and let it melt a bit. "Can't do that," she said softly. "I really look like this."

"Give it a rest, Dree! Idiot." Said Lila Doherty.

Sadie was clearly a bit flustered. She twirled a strand of her dyed hair in her little fingers. "Um… anyway, we should do something fun, cos it's not fair you're stuck inside. Chip thought of a remedial Maths class…"

There was a groan.

"But I thought of showing you some Dark Magic!" Sadie's shrill voice carried over the noise of the groaning. That caught the Slytherins' attention!

Sadie dumped her satchel on the desk and took out a jar and tipped it open. Inside was a strange, quivering green mass. She prodded it with her wand and it made a groaning noise, then it split open along the middle and a lot of smaller green slimeballs came oozing out. These ones had mouths and bounced along the floor screaming and then they sprouted spidery legs and swarmed up Dree who screamed and batted them away. The slime spiders scattered and there was a commotion.

"Um… oh dear…" Sadie looked around, biting her plastic green lip. "Please watch my satchel, Chip." She put Chip beside the satchel then hurried over to the back of the room where the slimy spiders were, but paused by Lucas. "Heyy Lucas. Sorry we haven't been able to talk much lately. Next Hogsmeade trip I'll get you a present."

"Um… Just some butterbeer would be fine," said Lucas.

Sadie leaned her green face close to his. "I thought if I conjured something cute for Dree he'd like me better." She sighed and shook her head, then ran over to the back of the room and waved her wand. "C'mon, cute little critters behave!"

The critters all screamed and surrounded the trembling Dree. "Daddy!" they said, in a chorus of eerie voices.

"Aw, they like you!" said Sadie clasping her little hands together. She looked puzzled as Dree shrank back. "Don't you think they're cute…?"

The other Slytherins pointed and laughed. Lucas knew that this would not make Dree like Sadie as she hoped it would. But perhaps it would make him warier of insulting her in future.

* * *

00O00

The next Hogsmeade weekend, the Slytherin prefects escorted the Slytherins through the gates. Sadie kept hold of Harry's hand while her wand was clutched in her other hand. "If you try anything, demons…" she muttered at the Dementors, as they passed between the towering horrors. The familiar wave if cold nausea swept over Harry and the screaming in his head started.

"Listen to my voice, my love," murmured Sadie. "Let go of worry… I'm always with you."

She was using that murmuring tone that she used when removing negative feelings, such as in the Hospital Wing. Harry felt his head clear a little and soon they were past the Dementors. Sadie broke a piece of chocolate and handed Harry a piece, and then broke off a single square to feed Chip.

The Slytherins went down to Honeyduke's.

"The novelty's sort of wearing off," said Draco. "The sweetshop's the only undeniably cool thing here."

"There's de joke shop?" said Goyle.

Sadie grimaced. "I can't stand pranks. I think they're cruel in a 'who me? You've got no sense of humour' kind of way."

The crowds bustled in the sweet shop. The gang formed a tight knot so that they wouldn't "Alright Harry?" Harry suddenly became aware of Colin Creevey at his elbow.

"Colin!" said Sadie. "What're you doing?"

"I sneaked out," said Creevey. "I wanna have fun."

"You… you snuck out!" Sadie's mouth fell open and she put a hand to the back of her head. "You went out of bounds when the Dementors are floating around and Sirius Black is on the loose?"

"I got past the Dementors!" said Colin. "Stupid monsters didn't know I wasn't a third year!"

"If you want to live up to your prefect badge, you have to report him," smirked Draco.

"She'd never do that," said Colin. "She's so cool and I know she'll look after me. I'm not worried about Black or the Dementors with her around."

Colin really knew how to flatter Sadie.

Sadie still looked unhappy. "How could you be so reckless?"

"I'm a dumb Gryffindor!" said Colin, pulling a face. The other Slytherins laughed.

Draco clapped him on the back. "Your brand of comedy justifies your presence here!"

Egged on by Draco, Colin started showing off. "I can make a Dementor less frightening. I can throw pink paint at it. It won't be so scary then!"

Draco laughed out loud.

Sadie put a hand to her green forehead and gave a little groan. "You really mustn't pick fights with those things. Stay close to us. Don't go wondering off."

"Mummy's anxious because you don't take danger seriously, Colin," squeaked Chip. "Why would you want to go wondering around alone without the teachers knowing when the Dementors and Black are all at large? 'I'm a dumb Gryffindor' is not a good answer."

Tracy gave her falsely sweet smile. "Harry, why don't we show young Creevey the best sweets, as it's his first time? I know what sweets everyone likes. Sadie only likes the weird ones."

"Good idea," said Sadie. "Honeydukes has all types of candy. Draco, Greg, go with them please."

Sadie believed it was safer for them to travel in groups of at least four, even in Honeydukes.

Harry and Tracy escorted Colin to a corner of the shop by the tongue teaser lollipop stand. These lollipops had faces painted on them which stuck out little sugary pink tongues at regular intervals. Draco and Goyle followed.

Tracy leaned close to Colin. "If you make Sadie's anxiety worse, then so help me I'll deal with you drastically. Do you understand?" Tracy glared at Colin who gulped.

Draco smirked. "Sadie's weakness is that she cares too much. She even cares about you a lot, Creevey."

"Shut up, Malfoy. It's not a weakness. It shows what a great girl she is," said Tracy fiercely.

"I agree," said Harry.

"And little Mr Creevey will behave himself if he knows what's good for him," said Tracy. "If he behaves himself, I'll buy him a funny lolly as a treat." She took down a lollipop from the shelf. It stuck out its tongue at Colin. "But if he makes me angry…" Tracy drew a finger across where the lolly's throat would be if it had one.

The gang (and Creevey) met up again in the unusual tastes section. There was a tank of slime eater candies that looked like glistening green blobs that secreted brown mulch. They gave off a stench that made them all screw up their faces, except for Sadie who was sniffing appreciatively. "Mmmm. Who wants some of this? My treat."

"No thanks, Mummy," squeaked Chip.

"Merlin, no," said Theo. "How can you think about eating that?"

Creevey moved to stand beside Sadie. "I love you, cos you're always so weird. You make trips a whole lot more fun."

"Thank you, thank you," said Sadie, patting his arm. "That's so kind of you to say. I love you too, even if you act the fool."

Tracy smiled at Creevey. "Just make sure we understand each other, my boy."

Draco smirked. "Gryffindors find you irresistible, Sadie."

At that moment, Ginny Weasley appeared. "What're you doing with these freaks, losers and Death Nibblers Harry?"

Harry groaned inwardly.

"Actually, Harry attracts Gryffindors as well," said Draco.

Ginny put her face close to Harry's. He couldn't help noticing how pretty she was. She already had every beauty attribute. Cherry lips, vibrant freckles and fine features. But somehow he didn't think he could ever warm to her. "You know why I'm special?" asked Ginny. "Because no Gryffindor author would ever describe me with a moustache in later life – the way a Gryffindor author describes a muggle woman she wants to be mean about. I'd be described as having a hard, blazing look instead."

"That all sounds very strange and oddly specific," squeaked Chip.

"And is 'a hard blazing look' supposed to sound attractive?" said Pansy.

Sadie stared at Ginny through the eyeholes of her mask. "You're breaking bounds as well? What is it with Gryffindors and wanting to take pointless risks?"

"Slytherin House has taken my brother," said Ginny smirking. "So there was no one in Gryffindor who would stop me breaking bounds. Percy was the one Mum had the tightest control of, so she used him to try and control the others. And then despised him for it, just as everyone else does."

"What you just said sounds very strange and messed up," said Sadie. "If it's a joke, it's not funny."

"If you'd read about our family, you'd know it was fact," said Ginny.

"Sounds perfectly plausible," said Pansy snidely.

"By the way, Fred was looking forward to this Hogsmeade outing because he was out of stink pellets," said Ginny. "He's fifteen years old!"

"Ha! What a joke," said Draco.

Sadie shook her head. Harry knew she didn't approve of backbiting no matter what.

* * *

00O00

After that, the gang visited the little toy shop. Harry, Tracy and Sadie were buying toys for Goldie, Harry's baby sister. Harry got a rattle, Tracy a toy dragonfly and Sadie a cuddly mushroom.

"I'm thinking that Hogsmeade is a place that would appeal to my little brother more," said Colin. "The main attractions seem to be a joke shop, a sweet shop, and just now a toyshop that may not exist in another timeline."

Next they went to the Three Broomsticks. Sadie bought a flash of butterbeer. "For Lucas…"

Their shopping concluded, the gang went back to the castle, smuggling Creevey back into Hogwarts with them. Harry hoped Colin would take Tracy's warning seriously and behave himself in future.

* * *

00O00

Harry, Tracy and Sadie went up to Cora's suite of garret rooms that evening. Goldie was now able to sit up, and she screamed with laughter at the sight of Tracy's toy dragonfly flitting around her head.

Sadie sat Chip on the mat near Goldie. "Haven't you grown?" squeaked Chip.

Goldie already had a full head of golden hair – a contrast to her vivid green skin.

"She will be a rare beauty," said Cora, her greyish lips forming a smile.

"Heyy, Goldie. Look..." Sadie held the cuddly mushroom out and Goldie grabbed it.

"It's Mr Magic 'Schroom!" said Sadie.

"Ma ma ma ma!" gurgled Goldie.

When it came to bathing Goldie in the iron tub, Tracy was willing to help… until Goldie pooped in the bath and an unmistakable greenish brown blob floated to the surface.

"Oh Merlin, oh Merlin," cried Tracy, taking a step backwards.

Goldie was aware Tracy was reacting against her pooping. Her little green face screwed up and she began to howl.

Sadie on the other hand, took it very well. "It's alright, it could happen to anyone," she said softly to Goldie. "Tracy's only pretending to be horrified."

Cleaning the tub was rather nasty work. Harry thought Tracy was smart to stay out of it.

* * *

00O00

Harry kept track of the next interhouse Quidditch match. The outcome would be relevant to his next match. Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff when their Chasers lost all sense of team spirit and tried to score all by themselves, making easy targets for Ravenclaw's new Beaters. Harry watched the match feeling almost embarrassed for Cedric Diggory, captain of Hufflepuff's team - almost. Harry would not soon forget how Diggory had accused him of of petrifying a Hufflepuff girl and lured him into a Wronski Feint during their match last year. The accusation had hurt Harry's feelings and the devious Seeker trick had caused heavy damage to his Nimbus 2000 that had cost him a pretty penny to have repaired. As it was, Harry cheered Ravenclaw on, marveling at how cute the Seeker Cho Chang was and how graceful she was in the air.

Harry told Sadie about her when they woke up together in Harry's bed one morning (Sadie was now sleeping in Tracy's bed and then Harry's bed on alternate nights).

"That Cho Chang is amazing in the air," he said. "So beautiful and graceful. I don't know if I can outfly her."

"It's the Beaters and Bludgers that worry me," said Sadie, her mask rippling as her face underneath contorted into a grimace.

In practice, the Slytherins were working on all kinds of rough playing techniques, to rattle the wits of the Ravenclaws. Flint never let them forget that they played Ravenclaw in the middle of January. He'd been doing everything he could to learn about Ravenclaw's new line-up.

Harry was so busy with Quidditch practice, classes, and homework and helping with Goldie's nappies etc. that the beginning of December took him quite by surprise. It was not long after that when Professor Snape came around to take the names of those who would be staying at the castle for the Christmas holiday.

Harry and Sadie had accepted an invitation to Malfoy Manor. While Theo's father had also invited them both back (on the understanding that Harry and Sadie were a package deal). Harry and Sadie would of course be going to the Davises do as well. That wouldn't be all. Daphne approached them in the common room on the first Friday of December and asked for a word in private. Ignoring the hoots of laughter from the guys being silly, he followed her out through the entrance wall and down the passage to a washroom. Daphne cast a locking charm on the door.

"Is everything alright, Daphne?" asked Sadie. Her blue eyes looked anxious through the holes in her mask.

"I dunno. Harry… I have to ask a favour without the others listening in."

"What, you don't think they're huddled outside the door right now?" Harry snorted. "_ Alohomora! _" The lock clicked open, and Harry pulled the door wide to reveal four grinning Slytherin third years.

"Go on, give us some privacy!" Harry burst out. He closed the door and locked it again. He would have liked to cast a Silencing Charm, but that was fifth year magic.

"Those gits," Daphne laughed.

"Daphne, if you need to talk to us about anything at all, we're listening," said Sadie in her soothing voice.

Daphne visibly waffled about how to express herself. "My parents are trying to break into wizarding high society," she said in a rush. "They want to throw a party on New Year's Eve, but they know all of the right people will be at a higher profile party."

"They need to raise their profile," Harry deduced.

Sadie stroked the cheek of her mask pensively.

"Yes. They've begged me to ask you if you would come." Daphne was turning a bit pink in the cheeks. "I didn't want to, but they insisted."

"Alright. We'll both come," said Harry. "Tracy too if she'll agree."

"Count me in," squeaked Chip.

Daphne squealed with delight, bounced on her heels, and wrapped her arms around Harry, hugging him very tight.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed. "Harry, this means so much to me. I'm your friend forever for this."

Sadie smiled at them with the lips of her mask and clasped her hands together.

"You mean we weren't before?" quipped Harry.

"Shut up, Harry," Daphne dismissed his joke with a final squeeze that left Harry gasping for air and speculating about a cracked rib.

* * *

00O00

After the gang travelled back to London via the Hogwarts Express, Draco, Sadie and Harry went down to Puddlemucker's sweet shoppe where they took the Floo to Malfoy Manor. The house elves were waiting in the parlour to take their bags up to their rooms. After lunch, they got changed and showered and went down to Diagon Alley to do some shopping. Harry and Sadie went off shopping together. Sadie had changed into her purple robe with a hood. Now, as he poked through the shelves in Flourish and Blotts, Harry was beginning to wish he could have finished up his shopping in Hogsmeade.

In the end, Harry purchased gift certificates to the apothecary, Flourish and Blotts, Quality Quidditch Supplies, Gladrags Wizardwear, Zonko's Joke Shop, and Fortescue's ice cream shoppe. The Credit Charms, as the special parchments were called, involved a fair amount of wand-waving on the part of the clerks. The finished product was a work of art, with strange shapes drawn all over in multiple colours of ink. He had enough to distribute amongst his friends with one exception.

His guilt about the Credit Charms overcame him as he was waiting in line, so he headed back to the shelves and picked out some Celestina Warbeck for the girls and the Weird Sisters and Wand Blaster for the blokes. He'd heard his friends talking about these bands, so at least his gifts weren't going to be completely off the wall. One of the shops was displaying wonderful, moving, wizardly paintings, and he marveled for many long minutes before picking out a moonlit sky scene for Mr. Nott; for the Malfoys, he settled on a dignified-looking owl that flew all around the painting, never settling on any one perch for very long.

"It's getting difficult to think of gift ideas," Harry confessed to Sadie.

"I know what you mean," squeaked Chip. "I spent my mortal life in the Muggle World, so I'm sort of in the deep end when it comes to magical gift giving."

Sadie smiled with the lips of her mask. "Boys… who haven't forgotten Knockturn Alley have you?"

"Erm…" said Harry.

Sadie pulled up her purple hood and beckoned. The lamplight in the shop shone off her green nose and cheeks. "Knockturn Alley leads down to the darkest places. I think we saw that last summer. I've been waiting a long time to go down there."

"If you're going, I've really got to go too, Mummy," squeaked Chip from the sling tied around Sadie.

Sadie took Harry's hand. Harry realised he couldn't refuse her. They stole down the dark alleyway. The sun had gone down. They passed between dingy shops with strange and unsettling displays in the windows. "Hang on…" Sadie stopped beside a narrow building with a sign that said 'Revivication.' "This is it…" Sadie pushed open the door and it swung inwards with a squeal.

The shop inside consisted of a single room with stained wooden walls, lit by three black candles that burned with icy blue flames. A witch with long, curly black hair, wearing a black shawl was sitting by the counter apparently lost in thought. She was tapping her fingernails on her wand. As they entered, she looked up. "Hello dears. I don't believe I've seen you here before."

"Heyy!" Sadie grinned at her and showed her the silver snake talisman she carried around her neck. "I've never had the chance to come here before. Um… my boys are just keeping me company."

"This place has quite the ambience," squeaked Chip.

"Do take seats," said the witch.

They sat on rickety wooden chairs.

The witch lifted a potion bottle off the shelf. The contents shimmered purple in the candlelight. "Liquid necros, embalming fluid. Essence of the undead."

The eerie light of the candles shone off Sadie's green mask as she gazed at the "Harry, if you wanna get me a gift in advance, for the solstice, Christmas, or my birthday, or all of them, I choose this."

Sadie knew her own mind. A pity the others weren't so up front about what gifts they wanted. Harry paid the price the witch asked. "Thank you, my love," Sadie grinned.

Harry addressed the witch. "Madame, do you do a mail order service?"

This would be a good way of getting Sadie presents that would make her happy. Sadie touched his arm. "You're so sweet to think of me."

The witch handed Harry a scroll of yellowed parchment.

"We gotta go deeper into the darkness," said Sadie.

What did she mean?

The witch pointed to a door behind her. "That leads deeper into the dark. Hope you have a wonderful nightmare."

People in Knockturn Alley were weird. Sadie seemed to think it a tempting invitation however. She was already on her feet. Holding hands they walked through the door and out into a darker alleyway. The kids raised their wands and cast lumos spells. Harry's glowed with a white light and Sadie's with a purple glimmer and cast weird shadows on her disfigured face. Deeper and deeper down the dark path they went until they found themselves standing on a floor of white marble that reflected the wandlight.

Then out of the shadows there loomed a woman with bright green skin and tangled brown hair. A hag! Harry felt a wash of relief. The thought of hags always made him think of his mother. He had been worried they would find something dangerous down the dark path. The hag was dressed in a long dress of midnight blue that covered her feet. It looked like she was floating above the ground, not standing… a night-hag then.

"Children? Why are you wondering around here at night?" the hag demanded. "Where are your parents?"

"I'm with my Mummy now," said Chip from the sling tied around Sadie.

"Sorry to intrude, but we need help," said Sadie. "Basically it's this… the stupid Minister has stationed Dementors around our school. I need to know more about fighting them. My private tuition with my head of house hasn't been all I hoped. Can Dementors truly be defeated? Professor Snape, an expert in the Dark Arts, thinks they can't be defeated for real cos they'll always come back, but I won't accept that."

The hag glared at her. "You take a vendetta like this upon yourself, girl? You know better than every parent or teacher?"

The Dementors already caused an accident that nearly killed my boy," said Sadie fiercely. "They glory in decay and despair. It frustrates me that wizards and witches and Muggles all fight and hurt each other when the Dementors are the real enemy."

"You are young and big-headed, but you have a glimpse of wisdom," said the night-hag. "First, consider this. What is a Dementor, really?"

"Oh Darkness, is this a riddle?" said Sadie, twirling a strand of purple hair in her fingers.

"I'm not good at riddles," said Harry. "We need Daphne."

"Let's try anyhow…" squeaked Chip. "A Dementor drains away life and hope… they are like holes in the world. They drain away life…"

"Oh!" said Sadie, her blue eyes gleaming. "I think I've got it. They must symbolise Death – they're shadows that Death casts into the world. And Death is not something I will accept as a universal law. I cheated death when I brought Chip back, and I intend to do it again. For everyone."

"That is your dream," said the night-hag. "Dreams are my speciality. She put her green hands to Sadie's green forehead. "Dream!" she whispered fiercely. "When your dreams are realised, you will be able to fight the ultimate evil in this world. You will truly be able to conquer the Dementors. But you've got a long way to go, my little creature of the night. Follow the dream. Follow your heart…"

Harry thought this all very strange and cryptic.

"Keep dreaming," said the night-hag, handing Sadie a purple crystal. "Now be off with you, kids. I've got to get ready for a first date."

"Ooh, congrats!" said Sadie.

The night-hag clapped her hands together and a fireplace in the corner burst into green flames. So, it was on the Floo Network. "Hurry up and get back home," she snapped. Then she tutted. "What sort of gift do I get a young Muggle man? I really don't know."

"Sorry, don't think any of us can really answer that one," squeaked Chip.

* * *

00O00

The first party Harry and Sadie were booked for was with the Davises.

The party was in full swing and as the guest of honour, Harry had been saying hello for what seemed like forever. Sadie wasn't sought after socially the way he was, but she loyally stood by him as he greeted the guests instead of attempting to have fun herself. Chip of course couldn't really dance, so Sadie was carrying him around in his sling. Harry made a point to seek out Mr. and Mrs. Goyle, who were sitting at one of the tables and not dancing. Mr. Goyle seemed very stoic, but a light gleamed in his small eyes when his son brought Harry up to shake hands.

"Pleased t'meet'cha," he rumbled in a deep voice. "Very glad to see Gregory making friends."

Daphne came up and hauled Harry to the dance floor and twirled him around for a few songs. He took a break from the dancing to get himself a glass of juice. He gulped it down and refilled before parking his hips at one of the small tables that lined the dance floor. Sadie rejoined him and Tracy immediately sat down next to them, appearing from out of nowhere.

"Having fun?" she asked, her breath coming a tad heavy.

"Yes, thank you, love," said Sadie, smiling with the lips of her mask.

"Wish I could dance," squeaked Chip.

"Nice party," Harry said, trying to play it cool. In truth, the Davises threw a better party than the Parkinsons did. He didn't want to say that, though, and have word get back around to Pansy - it might hurt her feelings.

"Want to go get some fresh air? It's very warm in here."

A walk sounded like an excellent idea.

The quartet made their way through the crowd. The Davis house didn't hold quite the numbers that had packed into Parkinson Place to bring in the new year, but Harry had long ago lost track of keeping names straight. They ducked out into the empty hallway and down to a painting of a man on a horse.

"Gailbraithe," Tracy said quietly as the man turned to look at them. He nodded, moved to the frame, poked in the corner with his staff, and the painting swung away from the wall to reveal a secret passage!

Harry was impressed. "Where does it go?" he asked.

"Get in and find out," Tracy replied with a giggle.

"It's a super fun slide!" said Sadie happily.

"Cool!" squeaked Chip.

"Sorry, Chip. Mummy will have to carry you down it," said Sadie firmly.

Harry went down the slide first and zoomed at high speed down to a level stop. "Can we do it again?"

Tracy shook her head and then pushed on the wall, and the wooden panel slid to the side to let them into the greenhouse. Moonlight streamed in through the glass ceiling, casting shadows that took on strange aspects. The moonlight shone off Sadie's green nose and cheeks. "Love your plants!" she enthused. She sniffed. "Mm… love the smell of that manure too."

"I abhor dirt," Tracy admitted, "but greenhouses do have their uses." She reached out and plucked something off a plant. "Here..."

She handed Harry a perfectly plump strawberry and then plucked another and fed it to Sadie with her fingers. She gave a little one to Sadie to feed to Chip.

"Mm. Juicy," squeaked Chip as Sadie put the strawberry into his mouth.

Harry held up the strawberry. It was hard to distinguish the color by moonlight, but it looked plenty ripe to him. "It's not the season for this," he observed.

Tracy smirked at him. "It must be maaaaagic."

Harry felt a bit sheepish and stopped up his mouth with the big strawberry. "Mmm."

Tracy lapsed into silence. She stood leaning up against one of the tables, just watching them.

"Are you OK?" asked Sadie softly, touching her girlfriend's arm.

"Guys?" Tracy asked softly. "Do you love me?"

There was a question there, a desperate hope swimming in her eyes.

"Always," said Sadie. "You were my first friend and you have a special place in my heart. Nothing will ever change that."

Harry was a bit taken about by her directness. "I think… I do love you, Tracy. Sorry if you've been worrying about if I do or not."

Tracy laughed. "Aw, Harry, you're so sweet. And Sadie… a special place you say? But I know that you're the only one for me. What is there in store for all three of us?"

Harry didn't really get the implications of this question. He thought she meant in the immediate future rather than long term. "We can all see Wand Blaster. They gave me tickets and I was saving them for a special occasion."

Tracy seemed to shake herself as if waking up. "You're so considerate, Harry. We should get back. We've probably been missed."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."


	11. Chapter 11

**Harry and Sadie in Draco-land**

Casa de Nott was a magnificent home, with elegant oak furniture and tapestries. Sadie and Harry shared a bed when they visited this year. At bed time, Theo came up to see them.

"Dad's impressed with you this time, Sadie," said Theo. "Not going to lie, you didn't wow him last time, but now he's going on about you being top in Arithmancy." Theo grimaced. "It's his favourite subject, as you will remember."

Sadie was sitting on the edge of the bed, her little legs dangling, not quite reaching the floor. She was cradling Chip in her arms. Sadie grinned at Theo. "It's Chip who's top in Arithmancy."

"Yeah, right. Chip," said Theo. Theo still didn't believe that Chip was anything more than Sadie's doll. Sadie had a reputation of being the weirdest girl in the school.

"Maths has a steep learning curve," squeaked Chip. "But you are improving, Theo. Your last test score was much better."

"That's right, my clever little boy," cooed Sadie. She moved Chip's smiley mask so that she could trickle drops of a glutinous purple potion into his tiny mouth.

"Dad's also impressed that you've got Harry Potter betrothed to you," said Theo.

Sadie smiled at him.

"I wouldn't want another wife," said Harry. Then he thought of Tracy. What was she to him?

"Aw," said Sadie. They rubbed noses. Sadie's broad nose felt hard and plastic.

"Celebrity status means a lot to the pureblood caste," said Theo. "Because you're the Boy Who Lived, that means you'll get status and a soft ride from key authority figures. When you and Sadie have kids, they will be allowed to call themselves pureblooded, cos she's a pureblood and you're a celebrity."

"The pureblood caste rules are confusing," said Harry.

"The word half-blood gets chucked around a lot," said Theo. "But there are half-bloods and there are half-bloods. It's really only meant as a stigma if it means one magic parent and one Muggle parent."

Sadie grimaced. "That shouldn't be a stigma. It's really romantic if two totally different people love each other."

"Think how difficult that must be," said Theo. "The Muggle partner will have to come to terms with the fact that they can never learn magic, no matter how hard they work. That would make anyone bitter."

"Mm. You're smart Theo," said Sadie. "I didn't think of that. Yeah, it's really unfair that so few people are born with the incredible gift of magic."

"It's a birth lottery," squeaked Chip. "If there are fifty-thousand witches and wizards in Britain, then that makes about one in a thousand Britons born with magic."

Sadie nodded, her purple hair rippling and bouncing. "That figure makes a lot more sense than the estimate of three thousand suggested in an interview by a certain Gryffindor author. Think of the size of the Ministry task force on the World Cup stadium, and the number of shops in Diagon Alley."

"That Gryffindor author's numeracy is about as good as Pansy's," said Theo smirking. "Either way, it's superlative good fortune to be born with magic."

"There are all kinds of things I could never do. In my previous lifetime and in this one," squeaked Chip. "Just because I'm a Muggle."

"Aw," Sadie made a kissy face at him. "Mummy will always take good care of you. With the best magic the Darkness can provide. Talking of Darkness… the Solstice is coming up."

* * *

00O00

It was the Winter Solstice. Harry and Chip looked on while Sadie and the Malfoys carried out a weird Darkness appreciation ceremony. Harry carried Chip in a sling and stood near the edge of a circle marked on the ground. Sadie and the Malfoys stood in the circle.

Sadie had urged that Draco take the lead in the ceremony. She had planned it beforehand so that Draco would impress Lucius. Draco recited what sounded like a spell. Not words in a barbarous dialect of Anglo-Saxonised Latin this time. This was the type of spell that certain dark resurrection rites used.

"The darkest night falls from the skies…"

"Creepy," murmured Chip.

Harry nodded.

Draco concluded the rite:

"Be my black hand. The dead shall rise."

The soil in the circle cracked and a skeletal hand pushed through. Harry shuddered as a skeleton clawed its way out of the soil and stood there, silent and terrible.

"You see! Draco's done it!" Sadie enthused. "Even the long dead can be brought to life. Now if only his spirit were conjured, he might possibly be resurrected."

"No need to resurrect him," said Lucius calmly. "You have done well, Draco. I am pleased you are taking as much of an interest in the Dark Arts as McIntyre does."

Lucius never worded anything by accident. Sadie looked uncomfortable. She certainly hadn't wanted to outshine Draco in Lucius' eyes.

In the guest room, Sadie showed Draco her notes, taken from different Necromantic tomes.

"It's amazing that Dumbledore could say with a straight face that no spell can revive the dead," said Draco. "There's so much evidence to the contrary. The dead can come back as ghosts and even have sexual appetites. Take Moaning Myrtle. She's actually tried to flirt with me before. Then there are the dead who can talk to you as portraits that are completely sentient. I bet Dumbledore's own portrait will be as much a schemer and a puppet master as he is, so it'll be like he never truly dies."

"That would be a wonderful plot device," squeaked Chip.

Sadie nodded. "And the dead could even come back from the Resurrection Stone from the Tale of the Three Brothers."

Harry thought of Tom Riddle's diary as well.

Sadie spread out a roll of parchment on the little desk with clawed feet. "Our magic system can do anything. The only real limit seems to be knowing about a spell. But the smartest of our kind, like Professor Snape, can discover new ones. I'm gonna try and make a spell that's for the good of everyone."

She scratched out a spell in the style of the chant Draco had recited for the Dark ritual:

_In darkest hours, we wield our power._

_Darkness gave, so life we'd save._

_The Dark Healer Corps have sworn,_

_To spread compassion, Forever More!_

"I need those who share my ambition," murmured Sadie, fingering her serpent talisman.

"You want to start your own sect, do you?" said Draco, looking at the parchment with narrowed eyes.

Sadie smiled, nodded and put up her purple hood. She cut a very strange figure in her purple cloak and hood. "In time. I gotta get followers."

"I'd like to help with your ambition," said Draco. "Let me check your notes. I might be able to improve your spell."

"Aw, that's so kind of you," said Sadie, patting his arm.

But what did Draco really intend?

* * *

00O00

When Draco had gone to bed and Chip was in his cot, Harry and Sadie were at last free to make out. Harry kissed the broad bridge of Sadie's nose. "Recruit me, Dark Healer," he murmured.

They wrestled. "Gotcha!" said Sadie, as they lay together, face to face, with her on top. Her blue eyes were shining and her warm breath tickled. "We're gonna have to work hard to change the whole world for the better. People will listen to the Boy Who Lived… I loved that title, even before I loved Harry Potter for who he really is."

After they made love, they lay side by side.

"How many followers will it take to really change the world?" said Harry.

"The magical people of Britain and probably beyond," said Sadie. "But in the end, magical and Muggle people will live in harmony. There's so much good we can do if we don't have to live by secrets and lies."

* * *

00O00

Harry and Sadie were awakened late that night by a voice from an ornate portrait in the room. The portrait of Abraxas Malfoy.

Sadie sat up in bed, her green face looking quite ghostly in the near darkness.

"My fool of a grandson is in trouble," the portrait said in a gruff voice. "He's been fooling around with your Dark research, Missy."

Sadie's blue eyes widened. "Oh no!"

"You have to go and help him now, or he will be in trouble with Lucius, if I know my son," said Abraxas with a sneer. "He's in the library."

Sadie groaned and put a hand to her green forehead, then she scrambled out of bed, Harry following her. Sadie gathered Chip up in her arms and put him in his baby sling, then she led the way to the library.

The library was lit by the eerie glimmer of the floating lamps near the ceiling. They ran past the towering oaken bookshelves. Some of the books whispered at them as they passed. Draco was lying there, ashy pale and still. His hands were clasped on his chest. He glowed with a ghostly aura…

"I have a sense of déjà vu," squeaked Chip.

"So do I…" said Harry slowly. "I remember you doing something like this last year, Sadie. When you attempted a transcendence spell."

Sadie groaned. "Draco's tried it. We've gotta get him out now, or he'll get in trouble! Please keep watch over us, Chip."

Harry knew what this entailed. They would have to enter Draco's dreams. He and Sadie had to lie down beside Draco. Sadie touched her wand to Harry's forehead and then to her own. Harry felt his head spinning, then felt himself hurtling up, up and up… out of the arboretum and into a maelstrom of swirling shapes and bright lights…

They both alighted in a boundless plain, covered with grey blue vegetation. Draco's dreamscape. Different to Sadie's. Ghostly shapes of white peacocks strutted around, both nearby and in the distance. There was a silver orb shining down on them, brighter than the full Moon. Harry felt strangely light.

"We have to find the real Draco and wake him," said Sadie.

"I know the drill," said Harry. "I did visit your dreamscape last year. Now we'll see different facets of Draco's personality. Ouch!"

A little Draco with black robes, bats wings, horns and a tail had appeared and poked him with a tiny trident.

"My name is Draco, and I'm going to kill you!" it said in a harsh squeaky voice.

"Stop that, Draco you devil!" said Sadie, trying to fire a spell at the imp. "Oops… magic doesn't work the same here." She swatted at Devil Draco instead.

Devil Draco poked at Sadie with the trident. "Die! Die! Die!"

Harry swatted him, but he flitted out of reach.

There was a tinkling sound and a tiny Draco with white robes and angel wings appeared.

"Please stop all this senseless violence, Draco," he squeaked.

"Oh, it's you Draco," grumbled Devil Draco.

"Listen!" said Sadie, holding up her hands. "We gotta find the original Draco and wake him up."

Angel Draco alighted on her shoulder. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed.

"What's in this for me?" grumbled Devil Draco. "Why should I care?"

"Draco will be lost if he doesn't wake up," said Sadie urgently.

"You'd love that, freak," jeered Devil Draco. "This happened because he read your stupid nonsense."

Sadie bared her teeth angrily. "I'm not wasting time on you. Guys…" she turned to Harry and Angel Draco. "We gotta search quickly."

"We have to fly," said Angel Draco. "Harry Potter is the best flier Slytherin House has ever known."

"Yeah, and I just have to wish for a broomstick," said Harry. He concentrated, and a Nimbus appeared in front of him. Harry mounted it, Sadie did too and put her little arms around him, her boobs pressing into his back. Angel Draco was on her shoulder. They took off and soared high above the dreamscape.

They didn't seem to lose Devil Draco however. The horrible little imp flitted around them, its grating voice sounding in their ears:

"Have to cling to your boyfriend instead of flying yourself – shows you just want to piggyback on his fame. And you, Potter – you're the reason Draco can't ever get on the Quidditch team. He mopes about that too, the drip."

"Try to be a bit nicer…" demurred Angel Draco. "Though that goes against the grain for you."

"We don't have to worry about saving Draco," said Devil Draco. "Why don't you interlopers forget him and go back to bonking each other instead?"

"For Darkness' Sake… you are so annoying," said Sadie.

Harry spotted a crowd of Dracos on the ground. "Maybe the real Draco's among that lot?" He noticed a Draco who was lying down, wrapped in blankets. "There!"

"Well spotted!" Sadie and Angel Draco congratulated Harry and they swooped down. Harry shook the reclining Draco. "Wake up."

"I am awake. I'm Lazy Draco. Walking's for suckers…"

Lazy Draco slithered off, wormlike, still wrapped in blankets.

"He could be a Death Eater!" jeered Devil Draco. "I bet he'd spend decades doing nothing at all, then two years procrastinating about a plot to Imperius the Minister."

Of course… just another facet of Draco's personality.

"Ha ha! Can't even get the simplest thing right!" crowed Devil Draco.

Harry looked around. Where had they landed?

There was a crowd of Draco's assembled in stands around a podium. On the podium there sat a Draco with a funny hat that Harry recognised was in the style of the Wizengamot.

"The trial of Draco, by Draco, for Draco will now begin!" said Judge Draco. "First defendant."

A Draco stood in the dock. "I have a crush on Hermione Granger…" he began.

"Ugh! Terminate!" said Judge Draco, banging his hammer down.

"What's going on?" murmured Sadie.

"These are new thoughts that have just begun to grow in Draco," said Angel Draco.

"All of which are to be judged and sentenced to death!" said Devil Draco with relish.

"What? No!" Sadie ran up to Judge Draco. "I won't let you do this to yourself Draco."

Judge Draco narrowed his cold grey eyes at her. "And you are…?"

"Sadie McIntyre!"

"Terminate!" Yelled Judge Draco.

"No!" Harry ran forward, but he had Sadie were grabbed from all sides by a mob of Dracos and chained with a row of condemned Dracos, being led towards a hillock with a guillotine and a Draco shaped executioner!

"You shouldn't have interfered," said Angel Draco unhappily.

"I knew you were both stupid, but I didn't appreciate just how stupid," jeered Devil Draco.

Sadie narrowed her eyes, and then swiped at Devil Draco with the chains, taking him by surprise and making him drop his tiny trident, which she caught between her teeth. To Harry's surprise, Sadie awkwardly used the trident to pick the locks of her manacles, even though it was sticking out of the mouth aperture of her mask. In this dream world, she was much better coordinated than in reality. Harry supposed her imagination gave her power here. She ran along the row with surprising speed, unlocking all the manacles with the tiny trident. Harry and the crowd of Dracos were all released.

"You're free!" said Sadie, her blue eyes shining.

The crowd of Dracos murmured amongst themselves.

"Aw c'mon, you can cheer!" said Sadie frowning.

"Hip hip hooray!" said the crowd of Dracos feebly.

Sadie shook her head, her purple hair rippling and bouncing. "Never mind. Guys… please help us. We need to find the top Draco. Spread out and look for him."

"Good thinking," said Angel Draco.

"Wow, you're bossy," huffed Devil Draco. "Gimme my trident."

"No," said Sadie tersely.

"Look what I've found," said one of the Draco's in the crowd. He pointed at a large ornate chest carved in grey wood. "I think there's a Draco locked in here."

"What?" Sadie ran forward, Angel Draco on her shoulder. Harry followed close behind.

"There is indeed a Draco in there," said Angel Draco.

"It's probably locked for good reason," sneered Devil Draco. "If you had any marbles, you'd leave it well alone."

Sadie's mask contorted weirdly as she scowled at Devil Draco and then she picked the lock of the chest with the tiny trident and lifted off the lid.

A tiny little Draco was curled up in it.

"Hey, hey, Draco, it's alright," soothed Sadie, gathering him up in her arms.

"I'm a memory once locked away," squeaked the little Draco. "I have to tell you… father once had Tom Riddle's diary. The chest was a memory charm put around me."

"What!" Sadie's blue eyes widened.

Harry felt an unpleasant jolt of surprise… Lucius had had the Diary?

"Hey!" Called another Draco. "We've found Draco."

The real Draco was resting peacefully in a field. Sadie kneeled beside him and touched his pale cheek. "Draco… I'm so sorry this happened. Why'd you fool around with a Transcendence spell? And I – I'm sorry you felt bad about yourself."

"I'm not sorry at all!" sneered Devil Draco.

"Shut up!" Sadie snapped at him. Then she leaned close to Draco and murmured softly. "I still regret that I screamed at you that day in the Hospital Wing. I won't say I'm sorry that I'm our leader, but … even if you annoy me sometimes I still love you and want to take care of you." She sniffed.

Harry thought he should follow her example.

"It was a happy day when I found out we were cousins, Draco," he said. "And if I had a brother, I wouldn't mind if he were you."

"That's good," said Angel Draco.

"Bleh! If it gets anymore saccharine I'm going to vomit," said Devil Draco, pretending to gag.

Draco's eyelids were fluttering. He was waking up. The dreamscape flickered and dissolved around them. The trio awoke in the library at Malfoy Manor. Professor Snape was looking down at them, with a very sardonic expression. "So, our three dizzy dreamers have awoken."

"I'm so glad!" squeaked Chip, who was sitting beside them on the library floor.

"Professor Snape," said Sadie, scrambling to her feet. "Um…" she was still in her purple nightie. If she didn't have a mask stuck on her face, Harry was sure she would have blushed. Harry helped Draco to stand. Draco was clutching his temples. "You two inside my head… that was the ultimate weirdness."

"I was told there was trouble," said Snape. "I am glad Lucius had the sense to call me. If we were at Hogwarts, I would punish all three of you."

Sadie twirled a strand of purple hair in her fingers. "Sorry, Professor… I – I didn't think to call you myself, ermm…"

"It's obvious you didn't think, nor pause to reflect, McIntyre," said Snape.

"Yes, Sir," said Sadie. "Er… we found out something…"

"Something about a diary father once had…" said Draco. "It turned up at Hogwarts later. I don't know why. I only just remembered it was here at the Manor."

"Tom Riddle's Diary," said Harry grimly.

"Ominous," squeaked Chip.

Snape looked grim. "Lucius had the Diary? That is not entirely unexpected. I must speak to him. You lot, to bed. Now. And no more funny business."

* * *

00O00

Snape sat before Lucius in the main study at Malfoy Manor. It was a well appointed place indeed, although Snape still preferred his own study.

"The foolhardy trio are none the worse for their blunders," said Snape smoothly. "Have no fear in that regard. Although I must say, that this time, Draco was the first to do a reckless thing. That is unusual. Normally it is Potter and McIntyre who are rash."

"I will give Draco a stern talking to, rest assured Severus," said Lucius.

"I have a much graver concern," said Snape. "And Draco is innocent in it. Lucius, I speak to you as an old friend and confidant. Please know that I have only your best interests at heart. You can level with me."

"Out with it then, Severus," said Lucius, a bite of impatience in his voice.

"Did the Dark Lord compel you to keep a diary? An apparently ordinary little black book from a Muggle shop?"

Lucius froze.

"The truth, Lucius…" said Snape.

Lucius answered slowly. "He did. After the Dark Lord's demise, I tried to rid myself of the thing, but it resisted everything. Tearing, burning… my attempts to destroy it with Dark Magic and the resistance it put up made me realise that it had some nefarious purpose that only the Dark Lord could have devised. I discarded it."

Snape did not let his anger show. Lucius was not telling all. "And you knew nothing of its true purpose?"

"I have told you all I know, Severus."

Snape breathed hard. "Very well, Lucius. I will tell you that the diary had an evil purpose that wrought havoc on the school. It found its way to Hogwarts and caused the Chamber of Secrets to open again. It unleashed the monster of Slytherin on the school. When Draco was there! It was only great good fortune that averted disaster. The Diary has been destroyed and mercifully, no one was seriously hurt."

Lucius shuddered. "I – I had no idea…"

"Did the Dark Lord order you to keep anything else? Or Bella? Did he give her anything?" said Snape, thinking fast.

"There was one thing he entrusted to Bella," said Lucius slowly. A golden cup… He said it belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. Bella was very proud that he entrusted it into her safekeeping. She put it in her Gringotts Vault.

"Narcissa is the one with access to that vault?" Said Snape. "The Dark Lord will have laid some terrible curse on the cup. It would likely harm anyone who came across it unsuspecting."

Lucius shook his head. "I cannot risk that. We must go and retrieve the cursed object tomorrow, Severus."

Snape nodded. "Between them, Bella and the Dark Lord will no doubt have left terrible traps on the vault, but we must retrieve the cup – and destroy it – at all costs."

* * *

00O00

The next day, Lucius took Snape to Gringotts and they took the cart to the highest security vaults. Lucius' own vault was one of these. The Lestrange vault was another.

The door of the vault swung open to admit them. "Touch nothing with your bare hands," cautioned Snape.

There was a rustling sound in the great pile of coins and a golden scaled serpent emerged. It had blazing eyes, burning with cold fire and its teeth were edged with diamonds. It hissed and lunged at them, a black smog billowing from its maw. Snape had had the foresight to bring masks treated with antivenom charms. He bravely stood before the serpent as it reared to its full height. Lucius stepped back, but as the serpent lunged, Snape conjured a solid fist of rock. The serpent could not correct its lunge and its head smashed into shards of diamond and gold. Lucius and Snape's shield charms were assailed by bright splinters.

"That was one trap," said Snape. "How many more are to go?"

* * *

00O00

But eventually Snape retrieved the cup. He brought it before Dumbledore. The old wizard gazed at it. "Now this is what I had in mind."

"That is very cryptic, Headmaster," said Snape sardonically.

"My apologies, Severus," said Dumbledore. "I know you already suspect the truth."

"That the Diary was a Horcrux and this cup too? That vile creature anchored himself to this world with devices created through evil."

"You are clever indeed, Severus," said Dumbledore. "The Diary took me by surprise, I admit. But the cup is exactly the kind of vessel Voldemort would choose as a Horcrux. Now you have found it. I cannot thank you enough."

"It is a Horcrux, is it not Dumbledore?"

"Indeed. But now I can destroy it."

In a bare side room, Dumbledore put the cup on a stone plinth and conjured a beam of carefully controlled Fiendfyre. The old wizard gritted his teeth as he directed the raging fire into a concentrated point, focused on the golden cup. The Fiendfyre raged and roared, but Dumbledore's will was greater. He directed the beam of fire onto the golden cup and the Horcrux was immolated. An inhuman shriek of pain resounded throughout the stone room and the Horcrux fell into fragments. Dumbledore focused all his magical energy and shrank the Fiendfyre to a single point and then extinguished it. Another Horcrux down!


	12. Chapter 12

**Fun, Festivities and FiendFyre**

It was Christmas day, and after a Christmas Dinner at Hill House, Harry's family (his mum and baby sister) went with Jamie and Sadie to the volunteer center where they treated sick Muggles.

Cora couldn't help much year – she was preoccupied with baby Goldie. Of course, Harry and Cora hadn't done much actual healing work the previous years. They just assisted with stuff like reading to the patients or holding towels, bandages etc. The presence of a lot of sick people tended to make Harry a bit nervous, but he knew he ought to be willing to help them. Sadie was more than willing, after all. She thought it was a treat just to have the chance to help them.

At this moment, Sadie was comforting an old Muggle lady. "There's nothing to worry about, dear," said Sadie in her practiced soothing voice. "Just rest."

Harry noticed Sadie had a tiny silver ring on her index finger – an unusually small ring to fit her dainty little hand. The ring had a blueish-purple stone, which Sadie removed and touched to the saline bag of the Muggle's IV drip. The bag magically absorbed the stone, and the solution within turned the purplish-indigo colour of the stone.

The Muggle sighed. "Pain's goin' away."

"You're in the best of hands with Mummy helping you," squeaked Chip. "I'm confident she could cure anything."

"Funny doll," said the Muggle. Then the old lady suddenly looked a lot more bright and alert and sat up in bed. She acted wide awake for the first time. "Yer alrigh' dearie?" she asked Sadie. "Yer a burn victim, or summat? Poor little thing."

Sadie's mask of a face moved weirdly as she smiled. "Something like that."

* * *

00O00

It was Boxing Day and Harry and Sadie were due to go on a date with Tracy. They went to the sitting room and Harry threw a pinch of Floo powder into the fireplace.

Sadie put Chip on the couch.

"Villa Davis," Harry spoke into the green flames. They stepped into the fireplace.

It was very dizzying, with bright lights flashing all around like a fireworks display. They stepped out of the grate.

Sadie's green face split in a wide grin. "Tracy!"

"Sadie! Harry!" Tracy bounced up from the chair she was sitting on and hurried over to the fireplace. "Mother, I'm leaving now!"

"Wait just a minute, missy!" Mrs. Davis came into the room and reached the fireplace in only a few powerful strides. She knelt down and took Tracy by the chin, turning her face to the light. "Good, no makeup. Harry? "

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

"You take good care of my daughter. Bring her back the moment that show is over, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said again.

They went back through the fireplace. Harry rubbed at his eyes and stepped back as green flames suddenly sprang up and Tracy emerged from the Floo.

"Hey," he said in greeting.

"Hey, yourself."

Tracy gathered Sadie in her arms and began to kiss her frantically. She hugged the small girl so hard she squeaked.

"Um… How was Christmas?" asked Harry. He sort of felt like an intruder on the scene at this moment. He gathered up Chip along with his sling.

Tracy paused kissing, but didn't take her eyes of Sadie's face. "It was wonderful, Harry. Yours?"

"Um… It was great. Sadie and I helped out at the clinic. Sick Muggles needing care…"

Tracy sighed. "I wanted to join you. Truly. Mum was awkward about it though."

She started snogging Sadie again. Harry and Chip stood there. "Tracy's very happy to see Mummy again," squeaked Chip.

"Mm," said Harry.

They stood there for a few moments as the girls kissed.

Tracy finally broke her mouth to mouth contact with Sadie and turned to Harry. Her eyes were bright. "We can go in just a minute," she said, rummaging in her pocket. She pulled out a small bag. "I just need to do my makeup."

Harry was shocked. "But your mum-"

"Isn't here. I'll scrub it off before I go home, but I want to look pretty!" Tracy's declaration held a note of challenge. She also had a determined glint in her eye.

"You are always beautiful, inside and out," said Sadie, smiling with the lips of her mask.

"Yes. Yes, you are," said Harry. "Can't improve on perfection."

Tracy blushed. "Oh, stop..." Tracy ducked out to the bathroom.

"A pity Tracy couldn't help us on Christmas day," said Harry.

"Someday, all magical people will get the chance to help those in need, every day of the year," said Sadie, smiling with the lips of the mask. "That's my ambition. Our sweet Tracy will be able to help with charitable work then, just like she wants."

Harry rather thought that Tracy wanted to be with Sadie on Christmas day, rather than specifically being interested in helping sick Muggles, but it wasn't really his place to say so.

Tracy came back into the room. She had made up her face. She had given her cheeks a foxglove pink hue, and added a sprinkling of freckles over her nose and cheeks as well.

"That is cute." Harry blurted.

Tracy blew him a kiss.

"Tracy is always cute," said Sadie firmly as she took Chip's sling and tied it around her own waist.

Harry threw a pinch of powder into the fire.

"Club Cave on Mountainside!"

Harry must have been getting used to Floo travel, because he was barely dizzy as they came out of the fireplace. He looked around and saw that the "fireplace" was really nothing more than a large fire pit. They were ushered into a line of people who were filing into the cave. Already there was music playing; Harry knew from his communique with Mr. Montgommery that Wand Blaster had a lesser-known band playing before them.

They waited patiently in the queue. The girl collecting money at the counter looked bored to death, and she said, "Four Galleons. Ten for the lot of you…" Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Chip. "Cute doll."

"It's kind of you not to charge me for admission," squeaked Chip.

"I'm Harry Potter," said Harry. "I'm on the list."

It was at that point that things started to get out of control.

The girl stared at him in disbelief. Harry could almost read her mind. Surely the great Harry Potter wasn't standing in front of _her_. The noble Harry Potter couldn't possibly want to go out and see a show. The very real Harry Potter tried not to snort with mocking laughter.

"I said, I'm on the list," he repeated slowly.

The girl shook herself out of her trance and muttered an apology. She buried her face in some documents she had before her, scanning down the parchment with her finger. "Potter," she said under her breath, still not sounding as though she believed it.

"Ah!" she exclaimed. "Yes, here you are!" She handed him three squares of thick parchment that glittered and flashed with glowing runes. "Go on in." So they did.

Harry heard her say as they moved away, "That was Harry Potter!"

He rolled his eyes.

"They do know that you're a great guy," said Sadie happily. "If only they fully appreciated how great you are."

"Indeed. There's a lot that they don't know about us," squeaked Chip.

"I'll be lucky to not get mobbed tonight."

"You have a pair of wonderful girls to protect you," Tracy replied. "And Chip. Don't forget him."

"As long as there's no one of the same mindset as Dobby… the Malfoys' crazy elf," said Harry, remembering with unease the way Dobby fawned over him (and the overtones). "But I'm not entirely comfortable with fame that came about because of Voldemort."

"Aw." Sadie patted his arm.

"Quite understandable," squeaked Chip.

"You cannot change the past, Harry," said Tracy. "Cos if time travel were possible, it would totally invalidate the entire series. All you can do is try to cope with the present in a responsible fashion while utilizing your gifts as best you can. Let them gawk."

"You're so, so smart," said Harry.

"That she is!" agreed Sadie happily.

Just then, Harry spotted someone he recognised. "Mister Montgommery!" he called out.

The man's head snapped around, and his eyes lit up when he saw Harry's waving hand. He hurried over and bowed slightly. "Mister Potter, good evening." He turned to the girls. He recognised Sadie. It would be difficult for him to forget her. "Hello again!"

Sadie grinned. "Hey!"

"Young ladies, I am manager for the renowned band Wand Blaster, and I am your host tonight."

"I'm Tracy Davis," Tracy replied in a clear voice. "A pleasure, sir."

"If you'll follow me, I'll take you backstage."

Harry walked between the girls, Tracy walking close by on his right, and Sadie holding his left hand, as they pressed further into the cave. The manager led them down a side tunnel where he waved a badge at the burly-looking security wizards. They uncrossed their staves and continued their surveillance.

The tunnel came out into a big room filled with couches and cushions and chairs. Large boxes of equipment were piled in the corners. Five familiar faces of the members of Wand Blaster lit up with smiles as they caught sight of Harry.

"Lads, it's wee Potter, come to see us play," Eddie announced. He stood up and offered Harry his hand. "So glad to see you."

"Thanks for inviting us," Harry said with a nod. "This is my Tracy and this is Sadie."

"Girls, I'm Eddie, and these are my guitar players, Amelia and Agnes." The lead singer sounded as proud as he would be about showing off the sun.

"Hi!" the two girls waved. They were wearing matching costumes, though Harry could not tell what they were supposed to be, nor could he fully justify saying that they matched. The patterns were the same, but the colours were different. Emma's costume was dominated by fluorescent yellow, while Agatha was bedecked in fluorescent purple. Each also had an explosion of her colour in her very wild hair.

"The lads, Crompton and Olie. They've got hearts of gold."

"Eddie, I didn't know you cared," Crompton, the drummer, who was wearing a red tunic with flames drawn on it.

"He doesn't," Olie replied. The bass guitarist looked quite fierce with his shaved head and his face painted with evil-looking symbols. "He works us so, so hard."

"No, now," Eddie demurred. "I know I work you pretty hard sometimes, but look at where we are! Look at what we're doing! Harry Potter himself is here and you owe it to him and all the other kids like him to play your bleeding heart out. If you think otherwise, now's the time to let me know."

Agnes groaned for an extended moment. "He's not saying that, Eddie," she said, making it sound as though the lead singer were a blithering idiot. "He's saying that you're a slave driver and that we _all _would like a break every now and again."

"We have breaks."

"Who decides them?"

"I do." Eddie sounded genuinely confused as to what the problem was.

"New rule, I decide when the breaks are," Agnes declared. "Eddie, you're no longer in charge."

"As long as I'm talking with the right people, I'm in charge," Eddie said right back in the same tone of voice. "Now behave. We have guests."

Agnes blew a raspberry at Eddie and turned to Harry. "Glad to see you've helped Slytherin hold on to the Quidditch Cup. I was a Slytherin and I remember you, my boy. Your first year was my last."

"Aw. We never met then," squeaked Chip.

"No little doll, we didn't," said Agnes. "But I remember the rest of you."

"You seem different, somehow, Agnes" Harry said dryly, looking at the costume.

She laughed. "Yeah, can you see old McGonagall's face if she saw this? Think we could tell her it was a Transfiguration accident?"

"It's really cute," said Sadie happily.

"Someone had to do it on purpose," Tracy said drily.

"Thank you!" Agnes smiled. "I did it myself!"

A waiter came by, floating a tray of bizarre drink concoctions next to him. He passed out the large glasses to the band and sighed when he saw Harry and Tracy standing there.

"Get'choo summat'?"

"Do you have Butterbeer?" Harry asked.

"Aye."

"Two for me and Tracy. And what do you want, Sadie and Chip?"

"Ectoplasmic slime for me, please" said Sadie. "A small Butterbeer for Chip."

The manager led them down to the VIP area. Several other people were present, but Harry and the girls were the youngest by far (Harry wasn't sure how old Chip was exactly or how one would go about calculating it). What sort of attention the crowd would give the Boy-Who-Lived he didn't know, but he didn't want to discover it either. He hoped his scar would stay covered tonight. If it did, he wouldn't stand out. It was just Sadie who did.

When the band Apparated in with a stunning explosion of purple and yellow fireworks, Harry danced a lot but didn't get out of control like some of the other folk did. Tracy was laughing and smiling and dancing and jumping in synch with him, while Sadie hummed a strange, discordant sound and held Chip up in the air, twirling him around why he squealed "Whee!"

The big finale caused nearly deafening cheers and shrieks and whistles. The flames that engulfed the stage vanished, taking the band and all the gear with them. The stage was left whole and unharmed.

Harry knew that they would never get through the crowd waiting to use the Floo network. They sat quietly on one of the couches backstage while people rushed here and there, to and fro, carrying this, hauling away that. It was quite a fascinating process to watch. Everybody seemed to have a job to do, and once that job was done, there was another. Everyone had certain responsibilities and was trusted to get it all done in an orderly fashion.

Before much longer, Eddie and Agnes came up to say their goodbyes. Harry noticed they were holding hands tightly. He grinned to himself and stood up.

"Did you enjoy the show, Harry?" Agnes asked.

"We sure did!" said Sadie.

Harry nodded. "You were outstanding. Fifty points to Slytherin! Per song!"

She beamed at him. "Ah, he's a little charmer, I see. Well, thank you for coming. We normally play to an older crowd, but it's good to get a few young trendsetters into the music as well. All part of my cunning Slytherin plan, you see."

"Of course."

"Lass, it was a real pleasure that you came tonight," Eddie said to Tracy. "Do get home safe. I hope to see you out at another show. I'll have a song I write just for you, love."

Tracy blushed in a way that made her look even prettier. She nodded to Agnes and took Harry and Sadie by the arm as they headed for the now-available fire pit. Tracy took a small pouch out of the cuff of her robes. Floo Powder.

"Hill House!" said Tracy.

They emerged from the fireplace. Tracy took a few minutes to remove all evidence of the make-up she'd worn that night. When she was fresh-faced again, she emerged from the bathroom with a smile.

"I had a good time tonight, lovelies." Her voice was sincere. "Thank you for taking me."

"Always a pleasure!" said Sadie grinning.

"It was a lot of fun." Said Harry. He would always look back on this night fondly.

"It was even better than their previous concert!" squeaked Chip.

Tracy hugged and kissed Sadie goodbye: There was the sound of her breathing hard in excitement through her nose as she did so, followed by Sadie squeaking because Tracy hugged her tight.

Then Tracy leaned in and pressed her lips briefly to Harry's. Harry closed his eyes just like Tracy had. Her lips were very soft. Poor Sadie didn't really have lips of her own. Harry cupped Tracy's chin very gently with one finger and she squeaked in surprise...

Almost as soon as it started, it ended. Tracy pulled away and took a moment to compose herself. She didn't look at Harry. "I should go."

Harry could only nod mutely. Sadie grasped her girlfriend by the hands. "See you at New Year's!"

"New Year's," said Tracy softly. She walked in front of him back towards the fireplace. "Villa Davis!" she said into the roaring green flames summoned with a pinch of Floo powder and was gone.

* * *

00O00

A few days later, Harry and Sadie took the Floo to Greengrass Meadows.

On the other side, the first person they saw was Daphne. She looked very nice tonight, and Harry noticed she'd put on some make-up.

"Hey!" Daphne said with delight. "You're here!"

"So I am," said Harry.

"Heyy!" Sadie grinned at Daphne and clasped her hands.

"Glad to accept your invite," squeaked Chip.

"You're definitely on the A list, Chip," said Daphne solemnly.

At that moment, Draco arrived. "Hello Daphne," he said in greeting. "See to my cloak, would you?"

"I see it, and it's absolutely filthy, Malfoy." She giggled.

Fortunately Daphne had the good sense to stop talking just then, for Mr. Malfoy arrived and turned a stern gaze over his surroundings. He looked at everything, and he exhaled slightly through his nose before nodding and smiling as he greeted his host's daughter.

"Miss Greengrass, you are so radiant, you could hang in the sky on darkest night and have the people swear they heard werewolves."

Daphne beamed up at him. "Orta recens quam pura nites."

Mr. Malfoy obviously knew what that meant, because his smile became a little more natural. "Charming," he said.

Mrs. Malfoy was only just arriving, and she spent a few moments looking Daphne over. Evidently she passed muster, because Mrs. Malfoy smiled and took her arm. "Let us meet the master of the house."

The three of them swept off, leaving Draco with Harry and Sadie.

"Punch?" Draco suggested.

"Sure."

Not many people were there yet. Most were gathered in the ballroom, where Daphne's father was holding court, as it were. The room was not small, though not huge either.

Daphne was a spitting image of her mother, Harry realized. Both had the same shade of blonde hair and the same small nose. The crooked smile was identical too.

The smile on Daphne's dad's face could have rivalled Gilderoy Lockhart's for toothiness and gleam. His hands moved as he talked, but he didn't seem to be overly excitable. He chatted for quite a while with Mr. Malfoy as the house filled with guests.

Harry missed most of his friends that night. Crabbe had gone to visit distant relatives for the holiday; Goyle was down with a cold. Pansy's parents had snubbed the Greengrasses, while Millie had been fighting with her little brother and was grounded. Theo was missing in action. Tracy arrived a bit later and took Sadie away to the dance floor and then somewhere where they would make out in private, leaving Daphne to dance with Harry.

They danced for hours. It was nearly midnight when Daphne and Harry ducked away from the crowd. Daphne collapsed on a couch in the sitting room with a groan.

"I can't move. Bring me a blanket and pillow."

"I can't move either," Harry said, taking the other end of the small sofa.

"Having fun?"

"Yeah. Your folks put on a good party."

"Thanks."

They sat together without speaking for a moment. The only sound was the crackling of the fire in the grate sending dancing shadows over the walls.

"Daphne, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure. It's not anything serious, is it?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." She sat up a bit straighter. "What's going on, then?"

"Sadie's my steady girlfriend … but it's strange… I'm not sure how Tracy should fit into it. Um… you see, Tracy kissed me on Boxing Day…"

"Well finally."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Daphne sighed. "It's obvious Tracy and Sadie are like a package deal. But then, you and Sadie are as well. What did you think the result would be." She touched his cheek. "Just roll with it."

* * *

00O00

It was time to go back to school.

The Floo trip to Puddlemucker's wasn't even that bad. Harry wasn't even dizzy. He was definitely getting used to Floo travel.

The reached Kings Cross and Harry headed for the barrier at a run. When he was about to crash and hurt himself, he closed his eyes and thought about the English countryside. Thus distracted, he passed right on through to Platform 9 and ¾.

The great red engine always surprised him by how big it was. Somehow it shrank in his memory. He waited patiently for Sadie to follow him and together they loaded their trunks on board. The rest of the gang joined them in the compartment.

"How was everyone's holiday?" asked Sadie.

"Mm. Not great," said Theo. "Dad was busy with his Arithmancy research."

"Aw." Sadie touched his arm with a little hand. "Well, we'll all do something fun. Hogwarts Togetherness meets tomorrow."

* * *

00O00

Hogwarts Togetherness met late next afternoon.

"Sadie!" Colin Creevey ran up to the green faced girl. "I found a secret room! It's so cool!"

Tracy rolled her eyes.

"Oh?" Sadie grinned at Creevey.

"I bet it's a secret known to many," scoffed Draco.

"It's a huge room," said Creevey. "Really massive. It has a lot of junk in it, but some really cool stuff as well."

"A secret room with really cool stuff?" said Charity Burbage, the Professor in charge, with a light laugh. "Who could resist that. I would like to see it too."

The journey to the seventh floor took quite a long time. Creevey stopped by a stretch of blank wall. "You have to concentrate. Think like you have something to hide…"

"Think like a Gryffindor?" said Pansy, winking at him.

Creevey adopted an expression of concentration and paced in front of the wall. A massive door appeared. The Togetherness Society trooped inside.

"Mm. Loads and loads of rubbish," said Pansy.

"A lot of mislaid stuff," said Charity.

"Oh look, a fanged frisbee. I'll take it," said Theo.

There were a lot of items of small value and a lot of broken things. The girls were distracted dressing in forgotten silks and fingering old trinkets. Hangings and scarves shrouded items and were pulled aside.

"Look!" cried Hermione, pointing at a silver tiara, tarnished black with age. "This looks like Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem! But it's clearly a cheap copy."

"Yeah, but it's really battered," said Cho Chang.

"It could be silver," said Draco. "Silver does tarnish if you don't take care of it."

"Try it on," said Luna Lovegood. "You could be Rowena Ravenclaw herself. Daddy thinks she must have found a way to cheat death and come back in disguise. She was clever enough."

"An intriguing thought," said Sadie.

Hermione stared.

"What rubbish!" said Draco. "But try it on Granger. Knock it into shape and try it on."

Hermione held the tiara against the wall and gave a careful push. "There. I think it'll fit." She set it on her head.

Sadie grinned at her. "All hail Rowena Ravenclaw. So great to have you back."

They played a little longer. They looked through old books on the floor. Sadie gave an exclamation of delight as she found one bound in cracked vellum that Harry guessed must be about the Dark Arts. At that moment, Hermione gave a sniff.

"What's wrong?" asked Sadie, concerned.

"Everything!" said Hermione. "I hate being in Gryffindor. Ron Weasley's horrid and no one in the there likes me. No one likes me anywhere."

"Not true!" said Sadie. "I like you."

Charity came up to them. "I expect you're tired, dear."

"Maybe," said Hermione sniffling. She groaned. "Ohh… my head."

"Something's amiss," squeaked Chip.

Sadie narrowed her eyes. "Wait. Wait…" She was looking at the tiara. "Hermione… hold still."

She took a purple glove from her pocket and put it on, reaching out with her gloved hand and reached up to grab at the tiara, pulling it free of Hermione's hair. She grimaced, her green mask crinkling. "Something's very wrong with this thing."

"What makes you say so, dear?" asked Charity.

"We should listen to Mummy," Chip assured her. "This kind of thing is her passion."

"We need Professor Snape. Now," said Sadie.

That put the damper on the Togetherness meeting. They went back to their respective houses, except for Hermione, Charity and a few of the third year Slytherin gang. They took the tiara to Professor Snape.

* * *

00O00

In Professor Snape's office, the Head of Slytherin gazed down at the Togetherness Society members with a sardonic expression. "We've found a very suspicious object, Professor," said Sadie, holding it gingerly up in her gloved hand.

"Yes… I put it on and felt so strange," said Hermione.

"Hm." Snape reached for the tiara in Sadie's gloved hand then flinched and snatched back his hand and clutched at his left forearm.

"Is it cursed?" asked Charity fearfully.

"Yes, Professor. It is cursed," said Snape shortly. "Better to meddle with burning coals than an object like this."

Professor Snape donned a pair of dragon hide gloves and took the tiara from Sadie and then took it to Dumbledore. "Another of these, Headmaster."

"Ahh! Just what I would have expected. The long lost diadem of Ravenclaw, cursed and used for evil. Just Voldemort's style…" Dumbledore took the diadem to the room used before and subjected it to a beam of searing Fiendfyre. Professor Snape watched grimly. A thin wail of thwarted fury rose up and then faded.

Snape gave a nod. "May the rest of the Dark Lord follow. And swiftly."

Snape knew he was going to have to enlist help to make certain of this.


	13. Chapter 13

**Memories, Happy and Horrible**

Several days later, the third years had to brew a Sleeping Potion. Pansy had the notion to deliberately sabotage Parvati Patil's Potion. Pansy clutched a fragment of salamander skin and reached across the aisle to Patil's cauldron when she turned to ask her partner Lavender Brown a question.

But then Pansy became aware of Sadie glaring at her through the eyeholes in her mask and gave a little start, dropping the salamander skin on the floor instead.

"Pick that up, Miss Parkinson," said Snape, curling his lip. Had he guessed Pansy's real intent?

"You were going to put salamander in Patil's potion?" Harry said in the hallway. "Wouldn't that make it have a corrosive effect?"

"It would, yes," said Sadie scowling. "Let's have no more of this behaviour. Mucking about in Potions is dangerous. Darkness, do you think you're a Gryffindor, chucking firecrackers into swelling solutions and getting a free pass for it from a Gryffindor author?"

"Who is this Gryffindor author?" squeaked Chip. "That Ginny Weasley was talking about her too."

"She's a morally challenged author who identifies as a Gryffindor," said Tracy. "She thinks anything a Gryffindor does is automatically good. Even if they cast the Cruciatus curse, they get called 'gallant.'"

Theo burst out laughing. "You don't get a free pass for anything, Pansy and nor do you get away with stuff. Talk about the worst of both worlds."

"Why did you want to sabotage Patil?" Draco asked, sounding cross. "Has Patil done something awful lately that I don't know about?"

"Well I can't be sure, Draco. What you don't know about would fill whole libraries to overflowing." Pansy flipped her pigtails over her shoulder.

"I happen to be brilliant," Draco snapped.

"You're a legend in your own weird little dreamscape maybe," said Pansy smirking. "Wish Devil Draco were here. He'd tell us what a legendary duffer you are."

"Pansy, what's gotten into you!" Sadie glared at her again. Pansy was being a bit distasteful, referencing Draco's mishap where he had tried to transcend during the Christmas holidays and Sadie and Harry had had to go into the dreamscape of his imagination to rescue him.

Draco didn't respond. He glared at Pansy as well, but he then shoved his hands in the pockets of his robes and turned to walk away.

"Draco, don't be embarrassed," said Sadie in her soothing voice, running after him and touching his arm. "I had the very same mishap in our second year and Harry had to rescue me."

"Great," said Draco.

"Draco, look at me," said Sadie. She touched his cheek. "We're true believers, so we try things out. That's how we improve Dark Magic. The one and only limit our magic system has is knowing about a spell. Overcoming that limit means we have to try spells out. You have the mind of a brave pioneer in dark research."

"That's all perfectly true," squeaked Chip. "If we were in Muggle literature, our magical system would be the very softest of soft magic systems. The Fighting Fantasy gamebook series managed greater sophistication and even that is simplified compared to Dungeons and Dragons."

By 'true believers,' she clearly meant true believers in practicing Dark Magic. Harry was less interested in dark spells. What he was interested in at this time was the Patronus Charm.

* * *

00O00

"Ah, Harry! And Sadie too. Do come in."

As arranged Harry had reported to the History of Magic classroom promptly at eight. Sadie accompanied him, carrying Chip in a sling tied around her waist. Professor Lupin was waiting with a large packing case that he'd placed next to Quirrell's desk.

"What's that?" said Harry.

"Another boggart," said Lupin, stripping off his cloak. "By great good fortune I found this one lurking inside Mister Filch's filing cabinet."

"Great idea, Professor!" said Sadie grinning.

Professor Lupin gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Thank you. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor. We'll be able to practice on him, and I can store him in my office between lessons."

"That is clever," said Harry. He was very impressed with Lupin's plan.

Sadie sat on a chair with Chip on her lap. Sadie was not interested in learning the Patronus Charm. She was an on-looker.

"So-" Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated that Harry should do the same. "The spell I am going to try to teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry - well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level."

"The Patronus Charm."

"Yes. When it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus," said Lupin, "but what is a Patronus?"

"It's a guardian force; a protector. It acts as a shield between you and the dementor." Harry had read up on them.

"Yes. The Patronus is a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon: hope, happiness, the desire to survive; but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it."

"Great," said Harry. "This is the kind of thing I had in mind when fighting Dementors. Not Occlumency. But to each her own."

Sadie smiled back at him with the lips of her mask.

"I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you," said Lupin. "Many qualified wizards have trouble with it."

"I won't know until I try. How do you conjure it?"

"My method is with an incantation, which will work only if I concentrate, with all my might, on a single, very happy memory."

Harry thought. So many to choose from. Memories of fun times back in the cave in the sewers with his mother. Memories of Hogwarts and his friends. Making love to Sadie… Harry wasn't sure if he could narrow it down.

"Hum. This wants thinking over to pick just one."

"We can come back to this. The incantation is-"

"Expecto patronum."

"Yes." Lupin looked a little surprised. "Have you been studying?"

"Of course."

"Very good. And your memory?"

"Okay, I've got one." Harry thought he would try making love to Sadie last night.

"Give it a try," Lupin suggested.

"Expecto patronum!"

Harry gripped his wand and thought of Sadie. Something whooshed suddenly out of the end of his wand; it looked like shapeless stream of silver. Hmm.

"Wow, look at that!"

"Very good," said Lupin, smiling. "Right, then. Ready to try it on a Dementor?"

"Yes," Harry said, gripping his wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted classroom.

Lupin grasped the lid of the packing case and pulled.

A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned toward Harry, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak.

Sadie grimaced at the sight of it.

"Brr. The Boggart does a convincing impression," said Chip.

The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The Boggart-Dementor glided out of the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling breath. A wave of piercing cold broke out on Harry's forehead.

"Expecto patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto-"

White fog obscured his senses. Big, blurred shapes were moving around him. He listened for his mother's voice, but got a shock when there came a new voice, a man's voice, shouting and panicking.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

There was the sound of someone stumbling from a room - a door bursting open - a cackle of high-pitched laughter…

Now he heard his mother's voice, louder than ever, echoing inside his head. "Not Harry! Not Harry! Please! I'll do anything!"

"Stand aside! Stand aside, girl!"

"Harry! Harry!"

"Harry! Harry! Wake up!"

Harry jerked back to life. Sadie's disfigured face was close to his, her blue eyes wide and anxious. Harry was lying flat on his back on the floor. The classroom lamps were alight again. He didn't have to ask what had happened.

Sadie helped him into a sitting position. "Are you alright? Perhaps that's enough for now?"

"I second that," squeaked Chip. "This exercise looks very stressful."

Lupin seemed to agree. "Harry, perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced. I probably shouldn't have suggested putting you through this."

"No!" said Harry. "I'm going to do this!" Harry pulled himself up on one of the desks and leaned against it. "I heard my dad," he mumbled. "That's the first time I've ever heard him. He tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my birth mum time to run for it. I've never had a dad."

Harry suddenly realized that there were tears on his face mingling with the sweat. Sadie put her little thin arms around him and hugged him tight.

"You heard James?" said Lupin in a strange voice.

"Yeah." Face dry, Harry looked up.

Lupin paused thoughtfully before he said, "I was friends with your father at school."

Harry turned to stare at the man. "You knew my dad?"

"James was the best friend a fellow could have," Lupin said simply. "When he and Lily were murdered by Voldemort, I nearly lost my mind. It was a long road back to anything approaching a normal time for me."

"Aww," Sadie patted Lupin's arm. "I'm so sorry."

Harry wasn't sure what to say to that.

"Oh, how I wish you could have known them, Harry," said Lupin. "You're the spitting image of James. You've done very well in my class this year, and from all accounts are excelling in your other subjects as well. Dumbledore has told me of your thrilling adventures with Miss McIntyre. James and Lily would be proud."

"Of course they would be proud," said Sadie softly. "Our kids will be proud of you too."

"James had a great liking for adventure too," said Lupin with a small smile.

That made Harry feel good. In fact it made him feel more than good. His Dad would be proud of his adventures. His kids would be too. He had been a little uncertain about his dangerous adventures up until now, because they worried his real mother so much. Now he was vindicated.

"I've got a happy thought," he said.

Lupin didn't bat an eye. "Is it strong?"

"Yes."

"Then let's try it, shall we?"

"Let's."

Harry faced the packing case once more.

"Ready?" said Lupin. "Concentrating hard? Alright. Go!"

He pulled off the lid of the case again, and the Dementor rose out of it. The room went icily cold and dark once more. The Dementor glided forward, drawing its breath; one rotting hand was extending toward Harry.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed. "EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The screaming had started again, but it was quieter now. It sounded very far away. The room wasn't sliding away into a white fog. Harry could still see the Dementor, which had paused. Then a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry's wand. It hovered between him and the dementor, and though Harry's legs felt like water, he was still on his feet.

"Riddikulus!" roared Lupin, springing forward.

There was a loud crack, and Harry's cloudy Patronus vanished along with the dementor; he sank into a chair, feeling as exhausted as if he'd just run a mile, and felt his legs shaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Professor Lupin forcing the boggart back into the packing case with his wand - it had turned into a silvery orb again.

"Phew!" Sadie put a hand to her green forehead and then patted Harry's arm. "Well done."

"Excellent!" Lupin said, striding over to where Harry sat. "Excellent, Harry! That was definitely a start!"

"I want another go."

"Noo…" said Sadie sternly. "Take some chocolate and call it a night."

Lupin agreed. "Here." He handed Harry a large bar of Honeydukes' best chocolate. "Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?"

"Okay," said Harry. He took a bite of the chocolate and watched Lupin extinguishing the lamps that had rekindled with the disappearance of the Dementor. A thought had just occurred to him.

"Professor Lupin?" he said. "If you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black as well."

Sadie visibly tensed.

"Oh dear…" murmured Chip.

Lupin turned very quickly. "What gives you that idea?" he said sharply.

"Nothing. I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts too."

Lupin's looked grim. "Yes, I knew him," he said shortly. "Or I thought I did. You'd better be off, all of you, it's getting late."

Sadie took Harry by the hand and led him from the classroom. They paused next to a suit of armour, sitting on its plinth while Harry finished his chocolate.

"Shouldn't have mentioned Black," said Harry. "Lupin's not keen on the subject."

"I should think not!" said Sadie.

"It's a grim subject, indeed," squeaked Chip.

"But it's great that he knew my dad, and my birth mum too," said Harry. "It's like I have a connection to them now."

Sadie smiled with the lips of her mask. "It sure is! What wonderfully dark fortune that he's our teacher."

Sadie sometimes said 'dark' instead of 'good.'

Tracy, Daphne and Theo and Millie arrived at that point to that they could go back to the Slytherin dungeons together.

* * *

00O00

In the middle of January, a blizzard struck the castle in the night, covering every surface with snow near as high as a man. The route to the Astronomy tower was now a snow tunnel. A great swath marked the road to the front gates.

Lots sledding runs were well-trampled, for the ride down was smashing good fun.

They hadn't even cleaned the snow off the Quidditch pitch. Harry's team mates mumbled a bit about that, but Flint put a stop to their grousing. "You don't cancel Quidditch because of a little snow."

"A little? It's as tall as Bole's sister!" Derrick compared.

"I told you to shut up about my sister," Bole snapped.

"I was only saying-"

"Yeah, yeah, that she went snogging with Higgs in a snow tunnel," Bole said, not sounding happy at all. "I'd hurt him, but she told me if I laid a finger on him, she'd never speak to me again."

"I don't see what you've got against him, mate," Derrick wondered. "We've lived with him for near on six years."

"That's exactly why I don't want him near Amanda! I've heard him talk!"

"That's all it is, you mutton head!"

"Derrick's right, Bole." Bletchley chimed in. "Besides, Amanda's too smart to let him do more than kiss her. She's told the other girls about that at least a dozen times."

"How do you know?"

"Heather told me."

"If you sissies are done talking about girls," Flint said scathingly, "I would like to say a few words of inspiration. If it wouldn't inconvenience you, we've got a Quidditch match to win."

"Say on, oh my captain!" Montague hailed deeply.

"Men, the snow couldn't have come at a better time. The sunlight will be bouncing off of it, so Ravenclaw won't be able to see."

"The same with us, oh glorious leader," Bole sneered.

"Not at all. I've obtained a counterspell that will neutralize the glare. Observe. We don't have to rely on Hermione Granger to do all our thinking for us, like the Gryffindors do." Flint drew his wand and pointed it at Bole's face.

"Hey!"

"_Mico absentis! _"

Two thick black lines of what looked to Harry like greasepaint appeared on Bole's cheeks. It made him look quite fierce. Actually, he looked somewhat like a Muggle athlete, but Harry refrained from telling him so. The Beater was of a rather touchy temper.

"This charm is guaranteed to work and is not considered cheating according to the official rules of England." Flint sounded quite proud of the fact that he'd read a book.

"Well that's a relief," Bletchley observed dryly. "We wouldn't want to resort to cheating so badly that the crowd wonder what we're actually trying to accomplish. Snape took my prefect badge and gave it to a third year, but I already knew that making a show of cheating doesn't help."

"Stop going on about the prefect's badge. Harry's girlfriend can be a prefect, but she can't fly, so concentrate on what you're good at and forget everything else," said Flint tersely. "We'll be able to see better, and the depth of snow in the stadium will completely change the dynamic of the game." The drifts on the pitch were nearly up to the lower part of the stands. "It's still soft, just like you lot of sissies, and you can dive through it if need be."

Which sounded quite fun, actually.

"Now let's get out there and make 'em ashamed to write home about it!"

And they did.

The final score was three hundred-twenty to one hundred-ten. Harry soared across the surface of the snow, dipping his tail twigs in slightly and sending up a shower of snow like a wave, to catch the Snitch with a flourish. Chang had a disappointed look on her face at the other end of the pitch. She had been distracted by snow glare and had dove just before Harry had spotted the Snitch for real. She looked so cute when she pouted.

* * *

00O00

On the last Wednesday in January, Harry received an owl at breakfast from Professor Lupin informing him that tomorrow's anti-dementor lesson was cancelled. No reason was given, merely instructions to report as scheduled on the third of February.

"Aw, poor Lupin," said Sadie. "Really hope he's taking care of himself. His illness is no laughing matter."

"You know what's wrong with him?" said Tracy, narrowing her eyes.

"Sure do," said Sadie. "But I'm glad no one else has worked it out. Lupin wants to keep it a secret and we should all respect that. Now Harry… we both need to talk to Professor Snape. I told him in our last Anti-Dementor session that it concerned you as well, not just me. Better try and corner him this evening."

Harry wondered whether Snape would appreciate Sadie pushing for an appointment with him like this. However, she led him to Snape's office that evening. When she knocked a frail sounding voice told them to enter. In the office, there was Snape and an old wizard with white hair in strangely drab clothes.

"Potter! McIntyre! You're butting in, but that is not unexpected." Snape curled his lip.

"Ah!" said the old wizard. "So, these are the children who routed Tom Riddle in combat."

"Hey!" Sadie grinned at him and curtseyed awkwardly (Chip was tied in a sling around her waist).

"I am Nicolas Flamel," said the old wizard. "I have made time for young Severus here. A most promising potioneer. A prodigy among my many descendants."

"I'm sure!" said Sadie enthusiastically. "And it's wonderful to finally meet you, Sir." She awkwardly curtseyed again.

"You're all our great – great… however many greats grandfather?" blurted Harry.

"Of course," said Snape.

"You are all my descendants, so in a way, you all concern me," said Flamel. "But what concerns me now is the matter of Tom Riddle. We can all go up to see young Albus now and catch up on events."

Snape looked like he would protest, but then seemed to think better of it and only glowered.

* * *

00O00

In Dumbledore's office, Sadie grinned at Fawkes who gave a soft, lilting note.

"Nicolas!" said Dumbledore, standing and making a theatrical gesture of welcome. "This is a pleasant surprise…"

"You knew perfectly well I was coming, my boy," said Flamel. "I know that you know things. You know why I'm here. This child, little more than a babe in arms…" he pointed at Sadie, "found another of Tom Riddle's Horcruxes."

At the mention of the word 'Horcrux,' Sadie flinched and bared her teeth like she only did when really annoyed.

"Horcrux? What's that?" Harry was confused.

"Nicolas…" Dumbledore protested.

"This concerns all of you, my children," said Flamel. "Harry, my little one… a Horcrux is a construct of evil magic in which a malign wizard has placed a shard of his essence – his soul – so that it will always remain earthbound. As I suspected, Tom Riddle established several. You have come across one. In the form of a diary. Even Albus had not suspected that. The others were very predictable. Tom Riddle tainted an artefact belonging to Helga Hufflepuff. And another from Rowena Ravenclaw. You and little Sadie happened to find that one recently." Flamel's lips twitched to form a small smile.

Sadie balled her little hands into fists. "I had suspected You Know Who had been doing stuff like this. So I guess you've destroyed those other two Horcruxes?"

"Albus knew enough magic to do that, yes," said Flamel. "I was always confident he could do it. He learned to fully control Fiendfyre when he was a perfect baby of just fifty years old. I was so proud, my little one could do that."

Harry sniggered at the idea of Dumbledore being called a baby and a little one.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Well yes… Three of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes are no more."

"There could be others though," said Sadie. "It's supposed to only be possible to make one. If he made three, then who knows what the limit is?"

"Who knows indeed?" mused Flamel. "In Tom Riddle's case though, we might work out the number. Albus, I believed you have researched this in your own special way. I am confident that all my children here can be trusted with the truth."

Dumbledore frowned. Fawkes gave a soft trilling sound.

"Very well," said Dumbledore finally. "I will show you what I have found and what it leads me to suspect."

Dumbledore took out the Pensieve.

"Cool!" said Sadie. "This device ought to logically clear up any doubts about what really happened in any scenario where the facts are on the strange side, such as if an Azkaban convict's testimony seriously needs proving to the Minister of Magic."

"Have you heard the Muggle term, 'fourth wall breaking,' Mummy?" asked Chip.

Sadie's mask moved as she made a kissy face. "No Chip. You're my Muggle Studies teacher. I get all my Muggle knowledge from you. You have taught me the term 'the plot holes abound.'"

The motley group went into Bog Ogden's memory.

"A lot of Parseltongue," said Snape. "Though I could still follow it. But I daresay Professor Dumbledore has learned to understand the language of serpents."

"I am sure that he has, the clever boy," said Flamel.

"There are those born with the gift of Parseltongue and those who are not. If he is not born with it, then only a skilled wizard could learn to understand it by dedication," said Snape. "It certainly could not be picked up by just any slob who pays attention for five minutes. That would be truly cringeworthy."

Harry had of course understood everything.

"I have indeed, just for the purposes of this memory," said Dumbledore.

"It was just awful," said Sadie shivering. Her blue eyes were bright with tears. Harry could see why Bob Ogden's memory of the Gaunts would unsettle her. She was very sensitive after all. Harry was glad they had not brought Susie the snake. That part where Morfin nailed a snake to the door might have unsettled her.

"There there, Mummy," squeaked Chip.

"I now know that Merope Gaunt enslaved Tom Riddle with magic and forced him to marry her," said Dumbledore. "I suspect she used either the Imperius Curse, or a Love Potion. But either Tom Riddle escaped in the end, or she had a crisis of conscience and released him voluntarily. Either way, she died alone in a Muggle Orphanage, giving birth to Lord Voldemort."

"Darkness," Sadie shuddered. "What a horrible story."

"It makes you wonder about an author who would consider Love Potions as suitable material for a joke shop," squeaked Chip.

"Ugh! I know," said Sadie. "I don't even like that I was conceived under a Love Potion, but at least Mum and Dad both took them voluntarily in order to conceive me."

"You will have observed the artefacts the Gaunts owned," said Dumbledore. "The ring and the locket. I have not yet been able to find either."

"I have spoken with Horace Slughorn," said Flamel. "He has described to me a ring that Tom Riddle wore in his sixth year despite his comparative poverty. It had come to him under shady circumstances. We now know that this was the ring."

"So the ring and the locket are both Horcruxes," said Harry.

"Yes, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I believe those are the only two left. If by great good fortune we can find them both, then we will have defeated Voldemort once and for all."

Sadie was giving Dumbledore an odd look. Why?

* * *

00O00

Harry's anti-dementor lessons were not going nearly as well as he had hoped. After several sessions, he was able to produce that same indistinct, silvery shadow every time the Boggart-Dementor approached him, but his Patronus was too feeble to drive the Dementor away. All it did was hover, like a semitransparent cloud, draining Harry of energy as he fought to keep it there.

"You're expecting too much of yourself," said Professor Lupin sternly in their fourth week of practice. "For a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement."

"Quite right!" said Sadie. "My boy are super smart!"

"I can teach you things, Mummy!" squeaked Chip.

"You can," she said, awkwardly kissing his mask with the lips of her own.

Susie the snake was curled around Harry's arm and she poked her head out of his sleeve. Harry stroked her with one finger. "I thought a Patronus would, I don't know, charge the Dementors down or something. Make them disappear."

"I prefer the use of Occlumency," said Sadie, nodding in agreement.

"The true Patronus does charge Dementors down," said Lupin, "but you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. In fact, here - you've earned a drink."

He pulled three bottles out of his briefcase.

"Butterbeer!" said Harry.

They shared the sweet, foamy butterbeer, Sadie moving Chip's mask so she could pour some into his mouth.

"So… who will be watching the next Quidditch match? Gryffindor against Ravenclaw," asked Lupin.

"Hm. It doesn't really concern me," said Harry. "But that Cho Chang is quite something. I'd like to see her play. Bet you'd like her too, Sadie. She's adorable, like you are."

Sadie smiled at him with the lips of her mask.

* * *

00O00

The day of the match dawned.

It was even a gorgeous day, clear and cool with a light breeze. The pitch sparkled dazzlingly in the winter sunshine. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

The stands were awash in red/gold and blue/bronze. Slytherins were bedecked in Ravenclaw's colours today, while Hufflepuff, as they usually did, sided with Gryffindor.

The match was exciting from the starting whistle. The actions of the Chasers were dizzying, and the play rose far above the pitch into the realms where Seekers sometimes played. Madam Hooch called numerous penalties for boundary violations.

"Look how Chang flies," said Harry, who was sitting between Tracy and Sadie. "Isn't she something?"

"She's very cute," Tracy agreed.

"Hope she's OK…" said Sadie uneasily. A Gryffindor had knocked a Bludger at her, but Sadie need not have worried. Chang outflew it easily.

Then suddenly Chang dove. Harry couldn't see the Snitch, and then halfway down the pitch and right in front of Harry, Panning made a dive as well.

Then Chang caught the Snitch and the Ravenclaws went bananas while the Gryffindors booed.

As they slowly made their way back up to the dungeons, the Slytherins were stopped at the stone steps by Professor Snape. His face was gravely serious.

"You are all to report to the Great Hall," he said firmly. "There's been a security breach. It appears that during the Quidditch match, Black waylaid young Mister Nolan and forced him to give up the password to Gryffindor Tower."

"What!" Sadie gave a little start. Her blue eyes were wide and anxious. "What happened? Is he OK?"

"He's fine," said Snape. "Black only threatened him. Now go to the Common Room, all of you."

Security around the castle was tightened even further as Gryffindor's Fat Lady, restored by Filch, was rehung on the wall. She was now protected by two burly trolls, whose odour permeated the halls of Hogwarts.

"It's ridiculous, isn't it?" Draco said to Harry. "I mean, what's the point of having a secret entrance if you're just going to let everyone know where it is?"

"It's not like they're any great secret," Pansy said with a sniff. "Ours only stays secret because we don't proclaim the entrance."

"That's exactly my point, Pansy."

"You mean we agree?"

"Apparently."

"I may have to throw up."

"On Theo, if you please."

"Gladly."

As part of the new security procedures, curfew was also moved to an earlier time. Students were now required to remain in their common rooms after dinner. Prefect patrols were increased, to Harry's regret – Sadie couldn't spend as much time with him anymore. Her break times were often taken up with babysitting the first and second years when it snowed too hard for them to go outside. Even the Hogsmeade visits were cancelled.

"Cancelled!" Pansy shrieked when Percy Weasley made the announcement in the common room.

"Yes," the Head Boy said firmly. "With Sirius Black out there, the dangers have been deemed too great for students to leave the castle."

"It's malarkey!" bellowed Derrick. "They can't cancel Hogsmeade! I've got a date with Bole's sister!"

"Liar!" Amanda Bole shouted.

"Dead man!" Ivan Bole echoed.

His announcement made, Percy didn't try to argue any further with the rest of the Slytherins. He sat back down at the table with his friends and began flipping through the pages of a book.

The third years looked around at each other in dismay. No Hogsmeade?

"Well, what will we do tomorrow?" Millie asked. From her tone, she didn't have any ideas. "There's still too much snow on the ground to do anything outside, and you can only go down that hill so many times."

"The little kids will need babysitting. You'll get to frighten the little snot-rags with your creepy spiders," sniggered Draco, patting Sadie on the arm.

"That was only once. And I thought they were cute," said Sadie, looking at her feet.

"Anyone can make one mistake, Malfoy," said Tracy scathingly. "I'm just sorry my girl has so many responsibilities. I'd far rather she was just with me."


	14. Chapter 14

**The Grim and The Night-Hag**

It was time for the Easter Holidays. Tracy visited Harry and Sadie in Cora's quarters before going off to Villa Davis. She hugged and kissed Sadie for a while using her tongue and tearfully expressing her goodbyes, then she kissed Harry on the cheek with her soft lips. "Bye, bye," she said softly. "And bye Goldie."

Harry's baby sister was sitting up and gurgling. She smiled at Tracy. Her little teeth were just breaking through her green gums.

"Have a good holiday, Tracy," said Cora hugging her.

Tracy was a lot more at ease around Cora now and allowed the hag to put her arms around her.

* * *

00O00

The Easter holidays were a heady time for Harry. He and Sadie could spend all their time together, making magic of both kinds – those being practicing spells and making love. Each morning they could roll around in Harry's four poster, enjoying noisy sex without disturbing anyone.

Harry locked his lips on Sadie's mouth aperture and thrust in his tongue. They wrestled, Harry ending up on top. He cupped her plastic face in his hands. "I'm on top, Dark Healer," he whispered.

Her blue eyes were shining through the holes in her mask. "A thrilling turn of events. Give it to me!"

While Harry was temporarily exhausted, Sadie was sitting on the edge of the bed, her little legs dangling in the air. "We have a distinguished visitor tonight. The Marauder's Map showed me a secret fireplace…"

That night, they went down a secret passageway that lead from the Slytherin Common Room to a bare stone chamber with a carved fireplace. Sadie lit a fire and chucked a handful of glittering powder onto it. The flames flared green and then a lady with skin of an ever brighter green floated out of the fireplace. It was the night-hag from Diagon Alley.

"Harry, you will remember Olkka, the night-hag we met in Diagon Alley last winter," said Sadie. "We have more we can learn from her." Sadie held up the crystal Olkka had given her during their last visit.

"Great to see you again!" squeaked Chip.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Harry, inclining his head. "As you can tell, the security in this place is full of holes. Anyone could sneak in or out."

"Mm," said Olkka. She brushed her thick brown hair away from her face. "But there are Muggle repelling charms all over the place that mean my boyfriend can't visit. Now I understand you need help with something girl?"

She turned a quizzical stare on Sadie.

"It's the magic map I told you about." Sadie flipped through the folds of the Marauders Map. Different dots represented different inhabitants of Hogwarts. There was Dumbledore, pacing round and round in his office.

"This is some map," said Olkka.

"I suspect it is sentient," said Sadie. "But there's something strange. I know Sirius Black has broken into the castle before, but I've never been able to find him on it. Could he have some kind of defence against the map's power? Can you test it out?"

Olkka turned over the map in her green fingers. The kids looked over her shoulder.

"Hmm…" said Olkka. "The creators of this made themselves into blind spots. You can't see the creators. So Sirius Black created this?"

That was a disagreeable thought to Harry. Sadie grimaced. She probably thought so too.

Olkka tapped it with her fingers. "That would take off the safeguard," she murmured.

"Black still doesn't seem to be here." Harry shifted his scrutiny to the grounds. Hagrid was moving around... Then Harry froze in disbelief as he read another name on the parchment near Hagrid.

Peter Pettigrew.

That was the man who had been murdered by Sirius Black in a street full of Muggles. What was his name doing on the Marauder's Map? He wasn't marked as a ghost, like the castle ghosts were. His indicator dot looked just like Hagrid's. Both dots had stopped moving in very close proximity.

What was going on?

"Sadie!" Harry pointed at the dot on the map. "It's Peter Pettigrew. You told me the stories about him."

Sadie gave a little start and stared at the dot through the holes in her mask.

"That is more than a little strange, even if you take into account how strange our lives are," squeaked Chip.

"We've gotta check it out!" said Sadie. She sounded uncertain. "I honestly cannot begin to guess what this is about. Olkka, please come with us. There's a chance Black might be lurking around somewhere near the grounds."

Olkka tutted. "Alright. Better not take too long."

The three of them donned the Invisibility Cloak – it was hard for it to conceal all of them, since Olkka was a lot bigger than Harry or Sadie.

Out on the grounds, Harry checked the map again. Ronald Weasley and Petter Pettigrew were leaving Hagrid's hut! Weasley was coming towards them now, but where was Pettigrew. Was he invisible?

"We'd better try and handle this," said Sadie. "If it's just Weasley, it's best he doesn't know you're here, Olkka…"

Olkka kept the cloak and Harry and Sadie revealed themselves.

"Halt!" Harry ordered, brandishing his wand. Weasley stopped in his tracks. His hands were filled with his stupid pet rat, nowhere near his wand. He was caught.

"What do you want, Potter?" Weasley asked as he narrowed his eyes, the pale blue irises like chips of ice.

Sadie tapped her prefect's badge. "Why are you sneaking around the grounds with Black on the loose?"

Before Weasley could answer, his rat squirmed in his hands. "Easy, Scabbers. It's just evil Slytherins. We can take care of them."

Suddenly Harry heard a low growling sound. He also heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws.

"Keep an eye on Weasley," said Harry as he turned around.

Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow - an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog. It made a great leap and the front paws hit Weasley on the chest; he keeled over backward.

Sadie gave a cry. "The Grim!" she gibbered, raising her wand.

Olkka grabbed both Slytherins. "Careful… there's more to that dog than the human eye can see…"

The dog's jaws fastened around Weasley's leg and dragged him away as easily as though he were a rag doll.

"We've gotta save Weasley!" said Sadie frantically.

"Alright, but be careful…" said Olkka.

They pursued the dog as it dragged Weasley towards the Whomping Willow. Sadie fired a hex at it, causing a squirming millipede at the dog, but it was too fast. Now the dog was in the shadow of the Whomping Willow.

Its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward, but now it froze in position, immobilised. The dog dragged Ron into a large gap in the roots. Weasley was fighting furiously, but he was already slipping out of sight. He hooked one of his legs around a root in an effort to stop the dog from pulling him farther underground, but a horrible crack cut the air like a shot; the leg had broken, and Sadie gave a cry and gritted her teeth. A moment later, Weasley vanished from sight.

"Come on!" Urged Sadie. "It might eat him."

"You wouldn't let that happen, Mummy," said Chip. "I have faith."

"Alright, let's rescue Weasley," said Harry.

"Yeah, speed is of the essence," said Olkka.

They slipped into a low earthy tunnel beneath the willow. The ceiling really was low. Luckily, Olkka could glide even when bent double. Then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Harry could see a patch of dim light through a small opening. Harry and Sadie lit there wands so that they glowed with silver and purple lights and the procession entered the room.

It was a room; a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up. The room was deserted, but a door to the right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Harry's eyes fell on a wooden chair nearby. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely.

"The Shrieking Shack," Sadie whispered. "This is the right distance."

"I think you're right, Mummy," squeaked Chip.

"Ghosts didn't wreck the place," said Harry.

"Clearly not," said Olkka.

At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. Quietly as possible, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Olkka could glide, so fortunately she didn't make footfalls. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.

They reached the dark landing.

"_Nox_," the kids whispered, and the light at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it. There was a low moan.

Wands held tightly before them, Harry and Sadie kicked the door wide open. On the floor next to a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Weasley.

"Weasley! Are you OK?" Sadie sounded anxious.

"Where's the dog?" asked Harry.

"Not a dog," Weasley moaned. His teeth were clenched with pain. "He's an Animagus."

Weasley was staring over Harry's shoulder. Harry wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them.

Waxy skin was stretched tightly over the bones of his face. Combined with the grinning yellow teeth, it looked liked a skull. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, Harry wouldn't have taken him for alive at all.

Harry pointed his wand straight at Sirius Black's heart.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" he whispered.

Harry forgot that he was short and skinny and thirteen. He even forgot magic. He felt nothing but rage.

"You killed my mum and dad!" Harry roared, and he lunged forward.

"No! Harry stop!" Screamed Sadie raising her own wand.

Olkka caught Harry by the arms. Her green hands were strong as steel pincers. Sadie's wand glowed purple and a glowing centipede crawled out of it and scuttled up Black's leg. He swiped at it, but it bit him with glowing pincers and he collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily.

"You're paralysed, you villain," said Sadie, her voice trembling. "We're gonna take you to Dumbledore."

"You killed my parents," said Harry - his voice was also trembling. "Why?"

"Not me," Black whispered. "Not me."

Harry didn't want to listen. But he couldn't help but ask, "Then who?"

"Him. On the bed."

"Weasley? You're crackers!"

"Indeed," said Sadie drily. "Who do you think'll believe that?"

"So what now? We take him to Dumbledore?" said Olkka.

"Probably best," squeaked Chip.

Then came a new sound. Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor. Someone was moving downstairs.

"Help!" Weasley shouted. "Sirius Black is up here! Help!"

Footsteps thundered up the stairs. The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks, and Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready.

"Hey, Professor," said Sadie. "We've caught Black."

Lupin stared at Black.

"Sirius, my old friend," he said sadly. "Looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within."

"Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you?"

"It's over, Sirius."

"Remus! Wait!"

Lupin's voice was completely emotionless. "For what, Sirius? For you to trick me the same way you tricked Lily and James into making you their Secret Keeper? For you to betray me the same way you betrayed them? For you to kill me the same way you killed Peter? No. It's over."

"He's not dead."

"What?"

"I said, he's not dead."

"Who?" Lupin demanded.

"Peter."

"Peter isn't dead?" Lupin sounded as though he couldn't believe it. "What fantasy is this? The Dementors have driven you insane."

"Peter Pettigrew?" Harry interrupted. "He's alive is he?"

"Wait…" said Sadie. "Someone tell me… who was the Secret Keeper? What really happened?"

"That's what we went out to investigate," squeaked Chip. "Pettigrew was on the grounds tonight. Something is very off."

"He is alive," said Sirius.

"Don't listen to him, Harry!" Lupin ordered sharply. "He's a tricky one who'll say anything."

"Tell me about Peter Pettigrew," Harry said, ignoring Lupin. Sadie looked from Harry to Lupin, her expression anxious.

"He was at school with us. We thought he was our friend."

"I believe him."

Lupin was astounded. It was plain on his face, and Black's as well.

"I've seen Pettigrew's name floating around the castle on this map I've seen-"

"Map?" Sirius interrupted sharply. "Map, do you say?" He laughed. "Remus, my old friend, young Harry here's been up to no good!"

"That map encourages one to be naughty," said Olkka.

Harry's jaw dropped along with Lupin's. "How do you know about the map?" he demanded.

"Know about it?" Black seemed almost giddy. "I _invented _it. Remus helped some, and your dad, too. We were all together in Gryffindor, did you know that? Along with Peter. Peter is alive! And he's right here! He was the Secret Keeper!"

"Where, Sirius?"

Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Weasley. Mystified, Harry glanced around at Weasley, who looked bewildered.

"But then-" Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "Why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless-" Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see. "Unless he was the one. Unless you switched without telling me?"

Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.

Lupin lowered his wand, stare fixed at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, flung his arms wide, and embraced Black like a brother.

"I was watching the sky when I saw them. I saw you attack them, and I thought the worst," Lupin choked out in a thick voice. "Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive, Moony. Now man up. We've got unfinished business to take care of."

"Right. Of course." Lupin cleared his throat. He patted Harry on the shoulder as he moved past to see about Weasley. Harry took the opportunity to find his wand and hide it in his sleeve.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.

"Why?" Weasley sounded very suspicious. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," said Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"

Weasley hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Weasley had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping.

Lupin moved closer to Weasley. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.

"What?" Weasley said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"He's not a rat. He's a wizard. An Animagus."

"You're mental! Peter Pettigrew's dead!" Ron protested. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, whose face twitched convulsively.

"I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me. Not this time, though! Little girl – take your curse off me. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for."

Sadie narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head.

"You can't do it just like that! He needs to understand," said Lupin. "We've got to explain. You've got to wait!"

"I did my waiting!" Black shrieked. "Twelve years of it! In Azkaban! We can explain afterwards!"

"Please hurry up and explain," said Olkka. "Though I think I know where this is going."

Scabbers was squealing like a piglet, scratching Weasley's face and neck as he tried to escape.

"You're nutters, all of you guys," said Weasley shakily. " And the freaky females too. I've had enough of this. I'm off." He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.

"You're going to hear me out, Weasley," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Weasley yelled, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; Weasley swayed and overbalanced and fell down onto the bed.

"Careful, Weasley, or you'll hurt your leg even more," admonished Sadie. "Just lie still."

"There's one certain way to prove what really happened," said Sadie. "Weasley, give me that rat."

"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Weasley asked Lupin tensely.

"Force him to show himself," answered Lupin. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."

Weasley hesitated. Then he held out the rat, and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.

"Ready, Sirius?"

A flash of blue-white light erupted from Lupin's wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in mid-air, his small grey form twisting madly. Weasley yelled and Sadie gave a little cry. Then the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light, and then it was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground, limbs were sprouting, and a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.

Sadie exhaled slowly. Olkka had a sardonic smile playing on her purplish lips.

Pettigrew was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry. His thin, colourless hair was unkempt, and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. Something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see."

"S-Sirius! R-Remus!" Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends!"

His voice light and casual, Lupin said, "We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed."

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "You don't believe it, do you? He tried to kill me, Remus!"

"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so kind. I must admit, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat."

"Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "You-Know-Who's supporters were after me, because I put one of their best men in Azkaban - the spy, Sirius Black!"

Black's face contorted.

"How dare you!" he growled, sounding suddenly like the bear-sized dog he had been. "Lily and James only made you Secret Keeper because I suggested it! I thought it was the perfect plan. A bluff! Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you! It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

Pettigrew fell to his knees as though he'd been cut off. He shuffled forward, grovelling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You can't believe this! Wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrew's head.

Sadie shook her head and tutted, her purple hair rippling and bouncing. "How could you think such bad things about Lupin?"

"I was an idiot. Forgive me Remus," said Black.

"Not at all, Padfoot old friend. Do you in turn forgive me?"

"Of course. Now we must deal with the vermin. I've been looking forward to this for a very long time. It was the one happy thought the Dementors couldn't take away from me. Will you join me?"

"Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.

"You wouldn't! You won't!" gasped Pettigrew. He was trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry.

"Harry! Harry, you look just like your father, just like James!"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Black. "HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

"Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward him, hands outstretched. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed. James would have understood, Harry. He would have shown me mercy."

"Because of you, he'll never know what James would have wanted!" Black roared. "You sold Lily and James to Voldemort! You blew up a crowded street and killed the Muggles. You left me to take the blame for everything. Do you deny any of it now?"

Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor.

"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord! You have no idea; the weapons he has you can't imagine! I was scared, Sirius! I was never brave like you and Remus and James! I never meant it to happen! He forced me! He would have killed me, Sirius! What would you have done?"

"Died!" roared Black. "I would have died rather than betray my friends!"

"I would die rather than betray any of my friends," said Harry.

"So would I," said Sadie fervently.

"And I'd rather die a second time than betray Mummy or my friends," squeaked Chip.

"What wonderful kids you are," said Olkka, a fond smile playing around her plum coloured lips.

"I dunno…" said Weasley. "If dying was the only other choice, I might betray the other idiots in my dorm."

"That's why you're so awful, Weasley," said Harry. "Let's just take Pettigrew to Dumbledore. Let's not be rash guys – a dead man can't testify. If he dies, the truth dies with him. If there's any argument or anyone has any doubt, Dumbledore has a Pensieve and can pick out his real memories."

"Good point," said Lupin.

"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You - thank you - it's more than I deserve - thank you -"

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. He pointed his wand. "_Petrificus totalus! _"

Pettigrew stiffened up like a statue and fell to the floor. Lupin shot thin cords from of his wand, and Pettigrew was also bound and gagged. "_ Stupefy! _" he cast, and the Stunner rendered Pettigrew unconscious as well.

Sadie took a jar out of her pocket and tipped a beetle with a weird rune on it onto Black. It bit him. "Don't worry, it's the antidote," she said. "Sorry about this rough treatment…"

"You're skilled at hexing, young lady," said Black. He began to stiffly move his arms and legs. "I can see why James' son likes you."

Then Weasley let out a moan of pain.

"Oh, Weasley, you're badly hurt, let me see," said Sadie in a soothing voice.

"Mummy can heal anything," Chip assured him.

"No," said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. "Weasley, none of us can mend bones as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if I just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

He hurried over to Weasley, bent down, tapped Weasley's leg with his wand, and muttered, "_ Ferula _." Bandages spun up Weasley's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Weasley put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.

"That's better," he said. "Thanks."

He turned to Olkka. "Madame, will you assist with Peter? If anyone can prevent the sneak from getting away, it's you."

"You're sweet," said Olkka. She made a weird gesture with her green fingers. As though invisible strings were tied to Pettigrew's wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still rigidly locked in place. He hung a few inches above the ground, his hands frozen claws at his sides. The night-hag guided Pettigrew back down the stairs and into the tunnel. Weasley limped along after him.

Black stood up and looked at Harry. "Harry." He stepped closer. "My word, Moony, it's just like looking at Prongs."

"I know, Padfoot."

"Prongs? You mean Harry's dad? That's a cute nickname," said Sadie.

"Do you know what this means?" Black said. "Turning Pettigrew in, I mean?"

"I should think it means your name is cleared," squeaked Chip.

"Well quite," said Black, "but I'm also - I don't know if anyone ever told you, but I'm your godfather, Harry."

_My godfather! _Harry didn't know how many more shocks he could take tonight. He'd never imagined that he might have something like this.

"That makes you as good as family," said Harry smiling. "You must meet my mother. She'll be happy to see you. My baby sister too."

"Wait… Sorry? Did I hear right?" Sirius was confused.

"My adoptive mother," said Harry.

"Also a hag, I understand," said Olkka. "That makes her classy, right."

"Oh absolutely, dear lady," Sirius curtseyed to Olkka with much more finesse than Sadie could have done.


	15. Chapter 15

**An End and A Beginning**

The motley crew walked through the front gate of the castle escorting a floating, immobilized Death Eater. Needless to say, they were quite a sight as they came through the entrance hall.

A patrolling prefect had stopped to stare, and Lupin smiled at her. "Rosa!"

The freckly faced Hufflepuff girl was wide eyed. "Sir?"

"Escort Weasley to the hospital wing please!"

"Sir!"

Lupin led the strange procession directly to the gargoyle that guarded the stairwell to the headmaster's office. He spoke the password ("Tongue Teaser Lolly") and guided Pettigrew's body up the winding steps. He ignored the brass knocker and used Pettigrew's head instead.

"Enter!"

Lupin opened the door and walked in.

"Headmaster," he said. "There have been some rather startling developments... Behold Peter Pettigrew."

He waved his wand and the traitor's body dropped heavily to the floor.

Dumbledore stood up slowly, his eyes wide. He stepped closer, and recognition dawned on his face. He looked at Lupin, who motioned to the others. They entered the office as well.

"Hello, Professor," Black rasped.

"Sirius!" Dumbledore looked ready to fall over.

"Yes."

"How?"

"It's a long story. There will time for it later. Summon the dementors! Peter Pettigrew must die!"

"Sirius, it can't be just like that."

"It was for me," Black spat with disgust. "My wand was snapped, and I was carted off to Azkaban without so much as a formal charge."

"Disgraceful!" said Sadie, shaking her purple head.

"I must inform the Ministry of this development," said Dumbledore.

Black snarled at the headmaster, but Dumbledore was unpeturbed. He kept that calm, wise look directed at the ragged man, and eventually Black threw himself in a chair in the corner.

"Make your calls."

Fawkes had been sleeping on his perch. His great, glorious plumage was sparkling, casting its own light from the shadowed enclave. As the chair thumped the wall, the bird peeked his head out from under his wing. His eyes settled on Sirius.

The phoenix threw back his head and sang out a single note, pure and beautiful, deep and joyous. He leaped off the perch, fluttered his wings, and landed solidly on Black's outstretched leg. Fawkes opened his beak and sang again, different notes, and the light from his plumage seemed to grow brighter.

Harry felt his spirits rise.

"Aw… wish I could sing like that," said Sadie, listening in rapture.

"Wish my Gabriel could hear it," said Olkka with a smile.

The effect of phoenix song on Black was unmistakable. His haunted look was gone. Tears welled up in his eyes and trickled down the wan skin of his face.

"Hello, Fawkes."

Fawkes trilled at him and jumped up to his shoulder. He sat there, perfectly content, and he continued to sing quietly.

"I'd say that about proves it, Professor," Lupin said, speaking at last. "All things considered. Fawkes would be repulsed by evil. By a true follower of Voldemort. You don't need reminding that phoenix song only strikes fear into the impure."

"Quite right," Dumbledore agreed. He threw a pinch of powder into the fireplace and knelt down to stick his head into the flames. "Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Em El Eey," came a woman's voice through the Floo.

"This is Dumbledore. Let me speak with Director Bones."

"One moment."

Harry would have sworn he heard elevator music playing through the crackling flames.

"Dumbledore?"

"Amelia, good. What I am about to tell you may sound rather strange."

"As opposed to any of the other things you've said that are perfectly normal, Professor?" There was a laugh rippling below the surface of her words.

"Believe me, Amelia, I am in most sincere earnest. I need you to listen to all I have to say before you begin reacting."

"Go ahead."

"Sirius Black just walked into my office."

"What!"

"Amelia!"

"Sorry."

"He was accompanied by Professor Lupin, who has just caught Peter Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew!"

"He is alive and restrained. It would appear that he has been living the life of a fugitive. I believe it most likely that he is a Death Eater."

Director Bones was silent for a moment. "This is a mess, Dumbledore. I'd better come myself."

"I shall see you shortly, then."

Dumbledore extricated himself from the fireplace and stood up. "Never fear, Sirius. We'll straighten this all out. I give you my word."

Lost in phoenix song, Black didn't answer.

"Now then, would someone please tell me what happened tonight?"

Harry spoke first. He summarized the tale, glossing certain bits over, such as how he'd obtained the map that had revealed the truth, and heaping praise on Sadie and Olkka for accompanying him, and on Lupin for coming to the rescue.

"Very well, Harry. That will do for now. Remus? Perhaps you would care to elaborate?"

Professor Lupin cleared his throat. "I was watching the sky, thinking about how much I hate and fear the moon, when I chanced to look down toward the grounds where I saw a giant dog attacking Ron and Harry. I recognized Sirius immediately and ran for the gate.

There came a knock on the door.

"Enter!"

The door opened to admit a tall witch wearing grey robes. Her red hair was cut to jaw-length, and she had a stern look to her. She took in the whole room with a single gaze. Her hard and piercing eyes settled on Black, and Harry was reminded very much of Professor McGonagall. The effect was aided by her thick eyebrows and imposing monocle.

Then she noticed the phoenix perched on his shoulder and how Black had his head tipped back in seeming bliss. Director Bones suddenly didn't look so sure of herself. She glanced down to study Wormtail.

"Yes, that's Pettigrew. Dumbledore, do I dare ask what Harry Potter is doing here?"

"You can ask," Harry answered for himself, giving the director an insolent stare.

"Very well. Mister Potter, what are you doing here?"

"Making sure that the wizard who betrayed my parents to Voldemort," and she flinched slightly at the name, "doesn't escape justice."

"Pettigrew was working for You-Know-Who?"

"Yes. He was the secret Secret Keeper when my parents went into hiding. Sirius Black was a decoy."

"Pettigrew was a spy," Black spoke up. Years and horrors seemed to have dropped from his face. Even his voice sounded more normal. "He sold James and Lily to Voldemort. I went after him, and I was going to kill him, but he blew up the street, killing the Muggles, and faked his own demise."

"Hold up," the director said, pulling out a scroll of parchment and a quill from her pocket. "Dumbledore- ah, thank you." She dipped the quill in the proffered ink and scribbled something briefly. "Tell me the story as it happened."

Together, in bits and pieces and with many questions, Lupin and Black filled Director Bones in on the whole story. Voldemort had targeted the Potters. They went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm. Black had been the decoy; Pettigrew had been the true Secret Keeper, but he had already turned traitor, acting as a spy for Voldemort - both Lupin and Black used his name - and had betrayed the Potters instantly.

"When I heard the news, my clever little scheme tasted like ashes." Black was stroking Fawkes as he spoke, the phoenix preening under the attention. "I got on my, motorbike, and headed for Godric's Hollow. I got there just as Hagrid was coming out of the ruins of the house with Harry in his arms. 'Give Harry to me, Hagrid. I'm his godfather. I'll look after him. It was what James and Lily wanted.'

"He said he had orders from Professor Dumbledore and that Harry was to go live with Lily's sister Petunia. I didn't have time to argue with him about it, and I knew Harry would be safe with Hagrid until I tracked down Peter. So I gave him my bike and Apparated to one of Peter's usual dives.

"I found him." Black's voice was heavy, "but before I could do anything, he framed me and blew up the street. When the Aurors came to take me away, I was laughing at how very stupid I had been."

"The rest, I think we know," Professor Dumbledore said. "Amelia? Have you heard enough?"

Director Bones shook her head in amazement. "I thought I knew some good thrillers before," she murmured. "Very well, Black. On my authority as Head of Magical Law Enforcement, I declare you innocent of all criminal charges."

"This is wonderful!" said Sadie, clapping her little hands together.

"Yes. You have a godfather now, Harry," said Chip.

Yes, Harry had a godfather. The next best thing to having a father.

Black gave another great sigh. "Thank you, Director."

Bones looked at Black. "Mister Black, the word of your innocence will be disseminated to the corners of the world by dawn." She waved her wand and lifted the immobilised Pettigrew into the air with magic and left the office.

The rest of them followed. Outside Dumbledore's tower, Black crouched down to be on Harry's level. "I've got to go with Moony right now, Harry. That's also a long story, and I promise to tell you all about it."

"Ah, Harry knows love already, Sirius," said Lupin. "Isn't it obvious?"

Sirius glanced from Sadie to Harry. "I suppose it is. I'll have to show both of you my properties as soon as I can. I'm the sole inheritor and my mother disowned me for being a Gryffindor, but never bothered to disinherit me legally. There's a place in London… I'm not too fond of it though. And a much better one in the Bahamas. You and your charming girlfriend should definitely see that one. Your mother and sister too."

"Thank you Mr Black. I'd be delighted."

"Mr Black, are you sure you don't need healing help … um… after all you've been through?" said Sadie. "Azkaban, then being on the run? My mum's one of Britain's best Healers…"

Sirius waved the notion away. "It's Sirius, not Mr Black. Or it could be Padfoot if you preferred. Come on Moony, let's go and get wild."

Sirius and Lupin headed off.

"What a weird series of events," said Olkka. "You wanted to see me about another matter, girl? Not just that funny map?"

Sadie nodded. "This is not such a … happy subject if I'm right about it. Harry, it's appropriate that your mum knows all about this too."

They proceeded to Cora's quarters. Goldie was asleep in her cot, but Cora looked up as they came in, her blue eyes wide.

"Heyy, Cora! This is Olkka."

"Well, hello, Ma'am," said Cora, stepping up to curtsey awkwardly.

"No need to bow," said Olkka sardonically. "Although night-hags are a hag aristocracy of sorts." She smirked.

"Um – right…" said Cora. "You must be hungry."

"Just get me some beetles," said Olkka.

While Olkka munched on the beetles, Cora looked anxious. "Harry, Sadie… What's been happening? I can tell you're all excited."

"A lot," said Sadie. "It turns out that Sirius Black is innocent of all his supposed crimes and that a Death Eater named Peter Pettigrew framed him. Sirius has had his name cleared. The Ministry has taken Pettigrew away. They're gonna take the Dementors away too. They'd better…"

"Wow… This is … a lot…" said Cora.

"It gets better," said Harry. "Sirius is actually my godfather, so he's like family to us Mum."

Cora grinned. "That's wonderful."

Olkka set the empty beetle jar down. "There's something else Sadie's worried about."

"Um… yes…" Sadie shifted uncomfortably. "Olkka, we need help that may be beyond a human witch. We need you to look in Harry's eyes."

"Mm. You need me to use my powers to give him a check up? Because his mum can't."

"I know it's just night-hags who are psychic," said Sadie.

"And I don't need to be reminded of what I can't do," said Cora tersely.

"Hags have a separate magic system? One which has rules?" enquired Chip.

"Yeah. Totally different from ours," said Sadie. "House elves have another system of magic. Goblins yet another. Ours is probably the only one that works completely at random with what it can and can't do."

"Look at me then, boy," said Olkka. She cupped Harry's face in her green hands. He gazed into her eyes. "Hmm."

Olga released him. "That was easy. There is a parasitic growth in him."

"What!" Cora gave a little start. She glared at Olkka. "What do you mean? Don't give me riddles."

"Not a riddle," said Olkka, curling her lip. "It's quite simple. There's a shard of some evil being lodged in Harry's head. A tiny fragment of a being so evil that I shudder to think as to what the master piece is like."

"The master piece is You Know Who," whispered Sadie. "He established maybe five Horcruxes on purpose. That would make his essence very unstable. Then he must have done this to Harry by accident that night he lost his powers."

"This is horrible. Absolutely horrible!" squeaked Chip.

"Does Dumbledore know?" Whispered Sadie, more to herself than anyone else. "Of course he must do. A wizard like him would have worked it out."

Harry felt a chill to his stomach. He touched a hand to his forehead. "That's why it hurt my head when Voldemort was here? The fragment was trying to get out?" He felt like he was carrying some deadly germ. Some horrible taint. He felt his head spinning, but his mother's strong arms were around him.

"This – this isn't true," said Cora, her voice trembling. "A piece of that vile creature in my son… Impossible."

"It's sealed off," said Olkka. "Like there's a callous around it. It's dormant. Of course, that could change."

"We've got to remove it," said Sadie. "But how…" She put a green hand to her forehead. "OK, there might be a way to cure Harry. Mum would help. And I've gotta test Professor Snape first and see what he really knows. That'll give me an idea of what Dumbledore knows…" She was breathing through her nose. "If either of them are lying to us and keeping secrets then Darkness help me…"

"Might want to sleep on whatever notion it is you're having," said Olkka. "If Snape or Dumbledore is lying, it's not really up to you to punish them."

"Indeed. You wouldn't be able to punish Dumbledore, Mummy," squeaked Chip. "Not even if he has deliberately withheld things that Harry has a right to know."

Sadie sighed and shook her head, her purple hair rippling and bouncing. "I know. I guess I'm overexcited."

Cora put her other arm around Sadie. "Sleep here tonight, both of you. I'll take care of you."

Olkka stood up. "Well that's that." She waved towards Sadie. "Til we meet again, follower of the night."

* * *

00O00

The next day, Harry felt better. Even if there was a shard of Voldemort in his head, his mother and Sadie would take care of him. He felt in good hands with them both looking out for him.

Harry's mood was improved at breakfast by the headlines he saw on Heather Sommernacht's Daily Prophet – she was showing it to her sister from Gryffindor.

**You Know Who's Secret Agent Revealed – The Spy, Peter Pettigrew!**

**How Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters and Sirius Black.**

**Peter Pettigrew to stand Trial!**

**Outcome of Trial a foregone conclusion based on Veritaserum evidence!**

"How are you feeling, Harry?" asked Sadie, gazing up at him through the eyeholes in her mask.

"Have a piece of toast," squeaked Chip, clumsily pouring treacle on a slice of toast.

"Thanks, Chip, you're so considerate," said Harry. "Treacle makes toast go down easier."

An owl from Sirius arrived at that moment. It was from Sirius and Lupin. Lupin was coming to collect them so they could see Sirius at the Three Broomsticks.

Lupin escorted them down to Hogsmeade. Harry's mood was lifted still further now the Dementors were removed. They arrived at the Three Broomsticks.

"Harry!" Sirius Black said, his voice delighted, if still rusty. "And Sadie," he curtseyed to her and she smiled with the lips of her mask. "And little Chip."

"It's a pleasure to meet you again," squeaked Chip.

Sirius' ragged hair had been neatly trimmed, and his skin had regained some colour. It appeared he'd also eaten a square meal and was dressed in smart robes. Lupin was very bright and animated. He was dressed in new robes too.

"Good to see you're both looking so well," said Sadie happily.

"Sirius," Harry greeted his godfather with a nod. He wasn't sure how demonstrative he should be.

Sirius opened the door of the tavern and stepped inside. In an instant, all conversation ground to a halt. Every eye stared at the man who had so recently been the most feared wizard in Britain. He handled it well. His expression mild, he met every eye. He sauntered up to the bar to the wide-eyed Madam Rosmerta.

"Hello, Rosie. Get us butterbeer, will you, love?"

Hesitantly, Madam Rosmerta pulled four bottles from under the bar. With practised ease, she removed the caps and passed the beverages over. Sirius dropped a few coins on the bar, winked at her, and handed Harry one of the bottles.

"To your health, good people," Sirius said loudly, raising his bottle in salute to the crowd. He tipped it up, and Harry watched his Adam's apple moving up and down as he chugged the butterbeer down. He slammed the empty bottle down on the bar with a thump.

Sirius reached into the pocket of his robes and drew out a wand.

"Brand new," Sirius said proudly. "Twelve inches, cedar, with a hair from the mane of a unicorn as the core."

"That's nice," said Sadie.

"The mane?" Harry vaguely remembered Ollivander the wand maker mentioning that he used tail hairs.

"Yes, highly unusual, Ollivander said. He was determined I should have it, though. The wand chooses the wizard, you know."

"So he said."

"Yes."

"So as I mentioned, I've got a house," Sirius said, not sounding pleased with it. "It's the family home, actually, but it's not the nicest place. I may as well show you right away. It might not be exactly proper for babies yet though. A magical house left to decay you know… Best to clean out the place first, before your baby sister sees it."

"Fully agree," said Sadie nodding.

"So - You're an Animagus," said Harry. "Did you have to register?"

"Yes. When the Director of Magical Law Enforcement knows you're not on the list, she tends to disapprove. That's one of my little secrets that's out, now. Part of clearing my name required that I detail precisely how I escaped from Azkaban," Sirius said. "I was an illegal Animagus, as were your father and Peter, Wormtail. The Dementors didn't affect me nearly so much when I was in my other form. That and knowing with absolute certainty that I was innocent allowed me to keep my sanity when screams echoed around me."

Harry shuddered. "Azkaban must have been horrible."

"Beyond description," said Sirius.

Sadie scowled. "I bet it was. I wish we could do something … stop the rotten Ministry employing Dementors and practicing torture."

"Well, your girlfriend has lofty ambitions," said Sirius. "I approve."

Harry was curious about the Animagus topic. "My dad was one too? When did you figure it out? And why?"

"We figured it out so we could keep Moony company during his transformations. His curse doesn't affect animals, so we studied in secret and worked in private until Prongs and I got it at last in fifth year. After that, we were always with him."

"Aw, you stayed with him in that old house? So sweet. You and James were such kind boys," said Sadie. She did not suspect that the Marauders would ever have gone out of the Shrieking Shack and endangered the public.

* * *

00O00

Dumbledore came with . Flamel accompanied him. The place was dusty and had the fusty reek of an old cellar. Sadie rubbed her hands together. "Great place you've got here, Sirius."

"Do you really think so?" said Sirius, raising his eyebrows.

"It looks like the sort of place Mummy likes," squeaked Chip.

Sadie sniffed the air. "Well just smell that magical fermentation."

An old house-elf appeared with a crack. "Master?" The elf peered at Sirius. Its voice was like an old bullfrog's. "Master was an ungrateful beast who broke his mother's heart…"

"Mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher," said Sirius. "She kept herself alive out of pure spite."

"Sirius, my boy…" said Dumbledore reprovingly.

A pair of curtains on the wall flew open revealing the portrait of an old (or prematurely aged) lady with old fashioned dress including a cap. Her eyes were wide and crazy and she screamed at Sirius. "Youuuu! Shame of my flesh, disgrace to your household."

"Darkness!" Sadie's eyes were wide through the eye holes in her mask.

Dumbledore waved his wand and the curtains slid shut, covering the portrait again. "Now we must be mindful… there will be a lot of dark objects hidden around here. Nicolas may have to advise us if we encounter any great difficulty."

"Excellent!" said Sadie. "Let's get started."

The work of cleaning, breaking curses under Dumbledore's supervision, and clearing up dangerous rubbish. Grim work. It was just Sadie who seemed to enjoy it. She was wearing her own purple gloves, instead of the dragonhide ones that Dumbledore had offered. The rubbish in the house included an instrument like a many legged pair of tweezers that scuttled towards Harry, snapping threateningly until Sadie blasted it with her wand.

"Good shot!" said Sirius.

"A lot of cute things here," said Sadie giggling. "Hang on…" She grimaced and grabbed a golden locket. "I think we've found our horrible locket. Who would have thought it would end up here?"

"I think you are right, Miss McIntyre," said Dumbledore, taking it from her.

"No! Kreacher is keeping that safe!" protested the house elf.

"What do you know about it Kreacher?" demanded Sirius. "I order you to tell me."

"Master Regulus stole that from the Dark Lord. He ordered Kreacher to destroy it," whispered Kreacher. "Kreacher has failed Master Regulus."

"No! You have succeeded," said Dumbledore. "Tell him Sirius."

"What Dumbledore said," said Sirius shrugging. "Since that is Voldemort's locket, I suppose you will destroy it?"

"Definitely!" said Dumbledore. "I understand that Nicolas has found and destroyed the Ring already without including any of us."

"The evil spells You Know Who placed on that ring only compounded the evils of the Resurrection Stone," said Flamel.

"Resurrection Stone?" said Sadie.

"Not truly a Resurrection Stone. Rather something that creates cruel illusions that lead to death. You know the magical folk tale."

"I do…" said Sadie.

"Fiendfyre took care of it. And Tom Riddle's … effect," said Flamel.

So, another Horcrux was down. The locket was the very last one.

Sirius and Dumbledore went upstairs. Sadie smiled at Flamel with the lips of her mask. "Mr Flamel. Great-Grandaddy… can I please call you that?"

"You may, little babe," said Flamel.

"Please help with these cute spiders." Sadie beckoned. "They're the size of dinner plates."

Sadie led them into the dining room. "Right." She said. She waved her wand. It glowed purple and the door slammed shut. She muttered a strange sounding word.

"You are trying out a stealth charm, child?" said Flamel. "You really don't want to be overheard?"

"I do not want to be overheard," said Sadie.

Flamel waved his wand. "There. Now it actually is soundproof. Your effort would not stop young Dumbledore listening in."

"Thank you," said Sadie. "Great-Grandaddy… You must have suspected You Know Who's five Horcruxes would make the monster a lot more unstable than he was without them… I wanna know, do you think anything strange or terrible could have happened because he's so unstable? Something like a bit of him breaking off and attaching itself to an innocent bystander?"

"I can guess what you are worried about," said Flamel. "You want to ask, could a splinter of Tom Riddle have embedded itself in little Harry here? I'm afraid the answer is yes, it is very likely."

"Uh huh," said Sadie. "Well a fragment of Tom Riddle did embed itself like you say. I wanna know how it can be un-embedded. I've got ideas, but I'm just fourteen, and you've got eons of experience. I'm not afraid to ask any truly wise person for help. I know my own limits."

"I have," said Flamel. "A solution of basilisk venom and then phoenix tears applied immediately afterwards."

Harry felt hope flare within him.

"Hm. I thought of that first. And what are the risks?" said Sadie.

"We really do need to know the risks," said Chip.

"The most likely risk is the shard of Tom Riddle putting up a fight," said Nicolas Flamel. "But I believe it is dormant and sealed off. The less likely risk is accidental poisoning from the basilisk venom. The venom of a basilisk is dangerous, there's no question."

"Uh huh. You have a procedure in mind, right? What's your plan, please, Great-Grandaddy?" said Sadie.

"I do have a procedure in mind," said Flamel. "Little Albus doesn't know yet, but we will need the help of his trusty phoenix."

"That's not the only help we'll need," said Sadie.

* * *

00O00

The locket of Slytherin had been destroyed with Fiendfyre. Sadie and Cora took Harry to Dumbledore's office. Madame Pomfrey was babysitting Goldie.

"The potion I gave you in the apple shaped bottle was to stop death," said Sadie. "I've improved it since." She held up a dainty hand. A tiny ring was on her index finger. The ring had a tiny purple stone. Sadie removed it. "Please put this in your mouth. If anything goes wrong with the Phoenix tears, this will keep you alive."

Harry put the stone in his mouth and grimaced – it tasted of really sour plums. He swallowed, but the taste wouldn't go away.

"I really, really hope this is a success," said Cora unhappily.

"Mummy's magic will definitely work," squeaked Chip. "I am proof that it does."

In Dumbledore's office, Harry sat on a couch, Chip sitting beside him. Cora, Sadie and Olkka stood opposite him, their green faces turned towards him, their gazes unblinking. Sadie and Cora really did look anxious. Fawkes perched on the chair beside Harry.

Dumbledore sat at his desk, his face impassive. Flamel was sitting on a chair nearby. Snape stood by a spindly table with the necessary potions. "Now, Severus, my bright boy," said Flamel.

Snape pricked Harry's scar with the needle tainted with basilisk venom. Harry felt white hot pain in his forehead… The green faced females were chanting, a weird discordant sound. Their voices were so mismatched. It felt like their chant was permeating Harry's very being. His head was spinning. He was loosing consicousness. Everythinmg was going black…

Flamel's echoing voice: "Now, Phoenix tears…"

Harry felt droplets splashing onto his face. When they touched him, he felt a warm glow. His forehead was drenched with a sparkling sensation. The sensation suffused his forehead. His head wasn't spinning so badly and he could hear the crazy chanting of the green faced ones. He could see the office again although his vision was blurred, but now everything was coming into focus…

Fawkes the phoenix was crying, pearly white tears falling from his eyes onto Harry's face. The phoenix gave a warm, trilling sound and Harry felt his confidence surge. A weight had been removed from his mind, that he hadn't even known was there!

Harry sat up. "Did it work?"

**Meanwhile…**

Sunrise. Wormtail was under sentence of death. For their failures, the Dementors had been denied the satisfaction of Kissing him. Wormtail would be executed in the arena of death, in the Department of Mysteries. Certain members of the Wizengamot sat on the spectator stands and awaited the condemned Death Eater.

Walden Macnair, the executioner, prodded Wormtail towards the archway with the veil between life and death. Wormtail was bound with enchantments against disapparation, performing magic and transforming into a rat, and his hands were manacled together. Macnair prodded him again. "Be a man…"

Wormtail's legs gave way. Macnair picked him up and hurled him through the veil…

**Meanwhile…**

Voldemort had been in hiding in the Albanian forest for nearly two years, sustaining himself by consuming rats and snakes. His dark spirit had been earth-bound, but now it was not. The evil one sensed that his anchors to Earth were gone and that it was all over. The former Dark Lord sank into the nothingness that awaited him…

* * *

00O00

Snape pulled up his left sleeve and gazed at his forearm. He smiled and looked up. "Our long nightmare is over. The Dark Lord is truly defeated."

"To think … I dared not hope that I would live to see this day," said Dumbledore.

"It sure is a great relief," said Chip.

Sadie leapt into the air with joy, clapping her little hands together.

Olkka smiled. "We have done well today."

"The procedure was a success," said Flamel.

"Potter is the picture of health," said Snape.

Cora plumped herself down on the couch and took Harry in her arms. "My sweet little boy… You're yourself again. All yourself."

Sadie kneeled on the couch, putting her green face very close to Harry's. Her blue eyes were bright with her tears. "My love…" Her tears of joy splashed onto his face. "This is not the end of our story, it is only the beginning."

"And what a beginning it has been," said Harry.


	16. Chapter 16

**Epilogue**

**Ten Years Later…**

Ten years after the demise of Voldemort, the magical world faced a new threat. Muggle technology and communications had improved drastically and in many countries, the secret of magic was out. In Ireland, there was widespread hysteria and threats to the Muggles. In Nigeria Wizarding secrecy had been irrevocably breached and the government had set up the office of Witchfinder General. In Britain and America, recorded evidence of magic had been disseminated online much faster and more extensively than a handful of Obliviators could cover up.

Amelia Bones, the Minister for Magic, called an emergency meeting. Harry and Sadie (now his wife) attended. Harry had recently been promoted to head of the National Magical Security Office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and on the back of that, he had this very day just got his position on the Wizengamot at an unusually young age. Sadie, a qualified General Healer at St Mungos, had urged him to capitalise on his fame and push for this position. She had endorsed him. She was a celebrity in her own right now…

Amelia looked very grave. "This is it. It would not be melodramatic to call this the end of the Wizarding World as we know it."

Sadie's blue eyes were anxious as she sensed Amelia's stress. She reached over the table to touch her hand. "Amelia, don't worry, everything's going to be fine. We can introduce ourselves to the Muggles as friends. I have a plan for this."

By way of contrast to the Minister, Dumbledore affected his normal smiling, twinkling façade. "Let Sadie's confidence give you confidence, Amelia. She did save us all from a most dire peril last winter during the Dementor Uprising. You recall how Fudge was sacked because he had no plan for the contingency of the Dementors revolting? Sadie showed unprecedented resourcefulness."

Sadie smiled at him. "I couldn't have done it without my husband. His expertise with the Patronus Charm was an essential part of my counter-attack on the Dementors when they were about to swarm the mainland."

"Yeah," said Harry. "But you taught me to give my Patronus the power of our dreams. So I conjured a Patronus that looked like a human and really reflected my dreams."

"A Patronus 2.0," squeaked Chip, who was sitting on a high chair beside Sadie.

"Yes, and it was Sadie infused the Patroni with Dark Energies," said Tracy, Harry's second wife. As a celebrity, he had had the option of taking a second wife. This required special dispensation from the Wizengamot.

"I collected the dark energies and enhanced the Patronus men, yes," said Sadie. "This proved the value of the Dark Arts once and for all."

"Quite," said Tracy. "You earned the title, Lady of Dusk."

Sadie did indeed have a title now, just like Harry was the Boy Who Lived.

"We all accept your innovation," said Dumbledore. "Even the best of us must sometimes eat our words. Although let it be said that I had felt the Ministry was wrong to ally with Dementors since before some of you were born."

Harry wondered why he hadn't done more about it then, but that was not the pressing issue. The Dementors were all destroyed and would never trouble them again.

"We can prove how much we can offer the Muggles," said Sadie. "My studies of Muggle medicine tell me that they have made innovations that will be greatly enhanced with the use of our type of magic that can work with no consistent limitations."

"Their computer programming discoveries can be used in conjunction with Arithmancy too," said Chip.

"Programming does my head in," said Tracy, shaking her head so that her blond hair rippled and bounced. "But Sadie's done amazing new things by combining Muggle Medicine with magic. Like helping Alastor Moody."

"Quite right," said Dumbledore. "She has restored poor Alastor's face and leg. No more cumbersome peg leg for him."

"It was heart breaking that the other Healers had given up on helping him further as soon as that war with Voldemort was over," said Sadie. "I couldn't let that injustice slide."

"I was happiest when you repaired your own face," said Tracy, kissing Sadie's pale cheek. The two of them then kissed, using their tongues. Sadie had indeed removed her cursed mask just recently. It had been another breakthrough of hers – curing magical disfigurement. She had spent some time afterwards with her head wrapped in bandages while her skin regrew with regenerative spells.

"I am confident we can help the Muggles with those vile diseases that have caused them so much grief – cancer and HIV," said Sadie. "The Muggles will look on us as benefactors. And really, it is high time we gave back to them, after centuries of living parasitically on their economy and eating their crops and produce without giving anything back."

"Admirable ideas. I fully agree," said Dumbledore twinkling. "The magical community will look to Harry and Sadie, two young celebrities, to be a rallying point."

* * *

00O00

Back at Hill House, Goldie, Harry's eleven year old little sister, confronted him about the proposals of Magic and Muggle reconciliation.

The green girl put her hands on her hips. "Is it true, Harry? You ac-chew-ally like that the Muggles know about us now? You have a plan for them to accept us?"

"I do, lil sis," said Harry.

Goldie gazed at him with bright blue eyes. The sunlight streaming through the window shone off her green nose and cheeks. "Good," she said suddenly. "I wanna be a Shakespearean actress, and I need Muggles to make up an audience. It's dumb that so few wizards know about Shakespeare. I know the parts I wanna play. I know the lines."

"That's wonderful," said Sadie beaming. "You are so, so talented."

"Yeah, I ac-chew-ally know that already, Sadie," said Goldie, brushing her silky golden hair away from her green face.

"What's your favourite role?" squeaked Chip. He was in the sling around Sadie's waist.

"First, I wanna play Bottom in a Midsummer Night's Dream," said Goldie. "Muggles should all get to see my Bottom as well."

"They will," said Sadie. "We are starting a new adventure, with the greatest goal of all. Magicals and Muggles will be friends."

Sadie lifted the hood of her purple cloak. She had drawn dark runes in black face paint on her cheeks. She lifted her little hand to show off the silver ring with an amethyst stone on her finger. She had given Harry one as well. They were for all followers of the Lady of Dusk. "Those who follow me will spread compassion and healing to all – Magic and Muggle."

"I'd take a ring if it means I can show my Bottom afterwards," said Goldie.

"You have to be of age to accept my ring and join my fight, sweetie," said Sadie, touching Goldie's green cheek.

* * *

00O00

Sadie's followers assembled in the foyer of Hill House. Harry, Tracy and Cora had already accepted the amethyst rings that were linked by magic. They followed the Lady of Dusk. So did a number of her old school friends: Colin Creevey, Hannah Abbott, Daphne, Theo and Millie. Who else would she recruit to her inner circle?

"This is so exciting!" said Colin. "I always knew you were a real superheroine. From the minute I saw you."

"I realised that when Mummy resurrected me with her Philosopher's Stone," squeaked Chip. "I was just a Muggle boy who had died of Leukaemia two years previously. Mummy still didn't give up on helping me even though the Muggle doctors and Magical Healers all had."

"Well said," said Tracy. "You were always a bright little boy. Sadie made good use of that Philosopher's Stone she pinched when she was just twelve."

"I'll help you. If it means helping Muggles as well, so be it," said Theo. "Draco's having cold feet about that part though. So is Pansy. Who will join the Lady of Dusk?"

"They'll all come around, I have faith," said Sadie. "The Darkness will show us all the way. Now the oath. Feel free to help improve on it. That goes for everyone reading this."

The oath of the Lady of Dusk is as follows:

_In darkest hours, we wield our power.__  
__Darkness gave, so life we'd save.__  
__We followers of Dusk have sworn,__  
__To spread compassion, Forever More!_


End file.
